EMMA RADUCANU’S opponent intervened to usher a cameraman away during their match for their “wildly inappropriate” behaviour.
Raducanu took on Danielle Collins in the last 16 in Strasbourg on Wednesday afternoon.
The Brit suffered an injury scare during the three-set defeat as she required an off-court medical timeout to get treatment on her back.
But an incident during the two-hour-20-minute clash in eastern France went viral on social media.
Collins, 31, is never afraid to speak her mind.
And she did exactly that when she felt the member of the camera crew for the WTA tennis event was being overzealous and too intrusive for the players at a changeover.
Addressing the operator, the American said: “I need to get water. We’re on a changeover.
“You don’t need to be that close to me amd you don’t need to be on top of Emma.
“It’s wildly inappropriate.
“It’s not that difficult to give space.”
Collins then proceeded to fill her reusable water bottle up behind the umpire’s chair.
The world No46 – who went on to win 4-6 6-1 6-3 – was also unapologetic about screaming out in the match – at one point, she shouted “right here” when she won a key game against the former US Open champion.
But Collins explained: “It’s more rewarding when you play a tough match versus one that is easy.
“It’s better if it can be a bit close. Playing Emma, I knew I had to play my aggressive game.
“Emma played really well and gave me some challenges. I kept going after her. To be good at anything, self-expression is really important.
“You have to be yourself. I’m a competitor. I’m not meek and mild. I don’t go through things quietly. I want to succeed.
“And to compete, it’s about bringing the energy, showing positive emotions, sometimes negative emotions, too.
“It’s about being upset with yourself. And it’s about working through those moments.”
‘STIFF AND SORE’
Raducanu’s back issue will be a worry just days out from the French Open.
The draw takes place on Thursday lunchtime with the opening round getting underway on Sunday.
Raducanu said: “I was feeling my back from early on, maybe mid-first set.
“So it was difficult to push through that. I managed to serve out the set. The second set was pretty much a write-off.
“After I got some treatment, it was a little bit better and was able to be more competitive in the third set. But Danielle played good.
Tennis stars’ new careers
PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring.
But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best…
“I felt my back after the first round. And then yesterday I tried to manage it. Got treatment. I mean I was pretty stiff and sore.
“I have had back problems before. At the start of the year, I was out for a few months because of it.
“It’s annoying, it’s frustrating. I get these spasms. They are quite intense and can last quite a long time. Yeah, I’ll try to make it better.
“I mean for me, I don’t mind (her disturbances) at all. It’s competition. We are both trying to fight for each point. I expect it as well from her.
“Off the court, we are both cool. We can talk and have conversations. But on the court, we are both trying to win.
“I was standing up because I didn’t want to sit down in the third set because of my back. I was standing as it was a bit more comfortable.
“Then, she came to fill a bottle up and was saying how the cameraman was really close and it felt a bit inappropriate. That’s all she was saying.”
Read the full article here
