‘Maybe he has a knife:' Putintseva in tears after asking Wimbledon umpire to remove ‘crazy' fan
At the start of her match against American Amanda Anisimova on Court 15, the 30-year-old from Kazakhstan approached the umpire to report the spectator, describing the person as 'crazy' and 'dangerous.'
'Can you take him out because maybe he has a knife, I am not going to continue playing until he leaves. These people are dangerous, they are crazy,' Putintseva said, according to the BBC.
It was not immediately clear what action was taken regarding the spectator, but play resumed after the chair umpire consulted security personnel.
A visibly emotional Putintseva lost 6-0, 6-0 in a match lasting only 44 minutes.
'Following a complaint about the behaviour of a spectator at the match on Court 15, the chair umpire informed security and the matter was dealt with,' a spokesperson for All England Lawn Tennis Club said.
Anisimova told the BBC she believed the spectator had been saying something 'when [Putintseva] was about to serve,' adding, 'I am sure that we were protected'.
Putintseva's preparations for Wimbledon were hit by a fiery clash with former world No.3 Maria Sakkari at an event in Germany last week.
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