- James Duckworth handled poorly in home slam
- Mistakes on the Aussie field were celebrated
- Played against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena
Australian tennis identity John Millman has said he ‘felt very bad’ for compatriot James Duckworth after ‘fans’ started cheering points he lost in his second round match at Melbourne Park.
Duckworth, 32, lost in straight sets to Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena on Thursday and looked on in disbelief at times on Court 3 as his mistakes were wildly cheered.
The cheers did not come from Spanish supporters, but rather from enthusiastic fans of Lebanese star Hady Habib, who he said would play the next match on the same pitch against Frenchman Ugo Humbert. News Corp.
Millman didn’t mince his words when it came down to it Duckworth’s shabby treatment at his home.
“I felt really sorry for Ducks, he’s a good friend of mine, you’re at home and they’re cheering for you because they want the next match to start,” Millman said on the ABC Tennis Podcast.
‘I think you need a little more class there. That’s what you [players] face at the Australian Open.
Australian tennis identity John Millman (pictured) has stated he ‘felt really bad’ for compatriot James Duckworth after ‘fans’ started cheering points he lost in his second round match at Melbourne Park
Duckworth, 32, lost in straight sets to Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena and at times looked on in disbelief on Court 3 as his mistakes were wildly cheered
According to News Corp, the cheers came from enthusiastic Lebanese fans (pictured) who wanted to see Hady Habib play in the next match on the same pitch against France’s Ugo Humbert.
“You’re going to have some vocal supporters. We live in a very multicultural country, so you’re going to have a lot of people who have ties to a lot of different countries and are supportive of what they’re doing.”
And according to the publication, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Felix Auger-Aliassime requested to move away from a nearby court due to the constant noise coming from Court 3.
Millman also added that the Australian Open crowd, the French, is the most intense.
“The loudest crowds are the Australian Open and the French Open,” he said.
‘The Parisians are especially behind their French players, when you have one you know it will be a wild atmosphere.
“The Australian public on the outdoor courts can come close to that line and sometimes go over it.”
Luckily for Duckworth, his tournament isn’t over yet after being outclassed by Carballes Baena.
Sydney-raised Duckworth will partner Aleksandar Vukic in the doubles match, with the duo set to play compatriots Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round at the John Cain Arena on Thursday evening.
James Duckworth will partner Aleksandar Vukic in the doubles, with the duo set to play fellow Australians Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round
It remains to be seen whether the match will go ahead given fitness concerns for Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, who battled chest problems in his marathon five-set second-round defeat to No. 15 seed Jack Draper.
He later confirmed it was a long-standing problem causing “mental and physical torture.”
Kokkinakis admitted he would probably have to retire from doubles as another long spell on the sidelines awaits.
“I feel like I’m letting him (Kyrgios) down, I’m letting people down, but yeah, I don’t know,” he said on Wednesday evening.
‘Tomorrow I won’t be able to lift my arm. So we’ll see. “Unless we’re both playing underarm serves, it looks pretty unlikely.”