Thursday, May 31, 2012

Aussie Rodionova booed out of French Open

Updated May 28, 2012 10:01:45

Feisty Australian Anastasia Rodionova has been booed and hissed out of the French Open's so-called court one "Bull Ring".

While fellow Australian Samantha Stosur proved a popular winner in the first match of the championships on Court Philippe Chatrier, Rodionova, it seems, will not be missed after losing to Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson.

The fiercely-competitive Rodionova refused to shake hands with Italian umpire Nicholas Stellabotte after her well-received 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 first-round defeat.

Another Australian Casey Dellacqua was also eliminated after a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 loss to 21st seed Sara Errani.

Rodionova upset the locals throughout the three-hour encounter with her constant questioning of line calls - which she almost always got wrong.

The Russian-born Melbourne-based player initially put fans offside in the ninth game of the match when she incorrectly called one of Johansson's balls out.

When Johansson played on, hit a winner and was awarded the point, Rodionova demanded the umpire check the mark.

Two points later, Stellabotte had to leave his chair again to confirm to Rodionova that another of Johansson's shots had landed in.

Rodionova, who was once defaulted from a match in Cincinnati for unsportsmanlike conduct, then received the hand-clap treatment from the crowd after continuing her running battle with Stellabotte at the net.

There were more protests in the third set, after Rodionova had twice failed to serve out the match in the second, but - like on the scoreboard - she lost those battles too.

Dellacqua threatened to post the first upset of the tournament before joining Rodionova as a first-round casualty.

A former women's doubles winner at Roland Garros and the reigning mixed doubles champion, Dellacqua led Errani by a set and a break but dropped 11 of the next 13 games.

Errani came into the tournament boasting a tour-best three titles on clay this season.

Three Australian men open their campaigns on Monday.

Bernard Tomic, the 25th seed, plays Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer, Lleyton Hewitt takes on Slovenian Blaz Kavcic and Matthew Ebden faces German 24th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER).

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, france, australia

First posted May 28, 2012 09:42:20


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