TENNIS: Putintseva embraces role as villain as Turkish fans boo her at Australian Open

MELBOURNE — Yulia Putintseva played the role of the pantomime villain at the Australian Open on Friday, taunting a loud crowd of Turkish supporters after her 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3 win over qualifier Zeynep Sonmez in the third round.

The Kia Arena became a sea of red as Turkish fans rallied behind Sonmez, who entered the tournament ranked 112th in the world. The crowd hoped she would become the first Turkish player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam fourth round.

Sonmez, who defeated 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round, appeared to be on the verge of defeat when she trailed 3-1 in the second set. She rallied strongly, winning the set in a tiebreak and drawing loud cheers from her supporters.

Putintseva managed to hold her nerve in the final set, but it was her post-match behavior that grabbed the spotlight.

As the Turkish crowd cheered for the underdog, the Kazakh player cupped her hand to her ear and blew kisses toward the fans, triggering a chorus of boos. After shaking hands with Sonmez, Putintseva danced provocatively near her seat, which led to continuous booing during her on-court interview.

“Honestly, it was a really crazy atmosphere here. Look at them (Turkish fans). They’re very passionate about what they’re doing,” Putintseva said.

“It’s great to see, especially against me, because I love this kind of battle.”

She also thanked the small group of Kazakhstan supporters in the crowd, saying, “These guys are the best. It’s better to have fewer people but better support.”

The scene echoed last year’s moment when Danielle Collins defeated local favorite Destanee Aiava on the same court, then blew kisses to the booing crowd and joked about funding her next luxury vacation.

Putintseva later said she felt the Turkish fans were disrespectful at times for screaming between serves to disrupt her rhythm.

“What can I do? Some people have education of tennis, and unfortunately, some of them do not,” she told reporters.

“But I’m very happy that I kept my calm, because Yulia last year would probably throw something at them.”

Sonmez received a standing ovation as she left the court. The qualifier not only won over fans with her performance but also gained admiration for her kindness during the tournament.

She went viral on social media after her first-round match, when she rushed to help a ball girl who fainted in the extreme heat.

-Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters