LONDON: For a little over two hours Novak Djokovic, going for an eighth title on Church Road, was forced to listen to the crowd in the Wimbledon fourth-found clash against Dane Holger Rune.
The cadence was gnawing. The 24-time major winner wasn't happy. Perhaps it was the 'Ruuuu' misconstrued as 'boooo', or it might've been the salt in the air. There was really no telling, but Djokovic was in no mood to listen. He had heard too much for too long. That the 37-year-old won in straight sets was incidental.
"To all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case me, have a goooooood night," he said, letting it resonate through the grounds. When on-court interviewer Rishi Persad tried to explain it to the Serbian, he wouldn't listen. "I know they were cheering for Rune, but that's an excuse also to boo," he said. "I've been on the tour for more than 20-years, so I know all the tricks, I know how it works." Djokovic had a message for Centre Court fans.
"I've played in much more hostile environments, trust me. You guys can't touch me," he warned.
During his post-match interview Djokovic backed himself, but admitted there was little that could be done. "I don't know what Wimbledon can do about it. The crowd paid for their tickets, they have the right to be there and cheer the way they want to cheer," he said. "They choose how they behave or who they support. You're not going to take out the whole section of the crowd or stadium because they're misbehaving or showing disrespect."
Then there is the question of what really is disrespect? "Fans are actually one of the biggest reasons why we are here, why the tournament is Djokovic acknowledged. "But if somebody steps over the line, I react. That's basically what it was."
