The Wimbledon crowd is divided over whether they enjoyed a drama-filled match between two ardent players who picked up three code violations between them.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios was warned that he had cursed, while Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas broke the rules twice for smashing the ball away in the crowd.
Tsitsipas, born in Athens, described Kyrgios after the match as “a bully” with “a very evil side”.
The 23-year-old player told journalists: “He (Kyrgios) is bullying the opponents.
“He was probably a bully at school himself. I do not like bullying. I do not like people who put other people down.
“He also has some good qualities in his character, but he also has a very evil side to him, which if exposed, can really do a lot of damage and bad to the people around him.”
When Tsitsipas’ remarks were made to Kyrgios, he laughed and said: “I’m not sure how I bullied him – he was the one who hit balls at me.”
The couple’s Court 1 spectators cheered loudly in scenes expected from a football match, and those who left the match described the match as anything from “embarrassing” to “absolutely incredible”.
Tennis coaches and brothers Alex and Will Page, both from Twickenham, said the players’ intense dislike for each other was clear from the sidelines.
Max said: “It was a fiery meeting.
“Kyrgios, I definitely fought, and he clearly got through.
“He is a very aggressive player who I think is very good.”
Asked what they thought of Tsitsipas hitting the ball to spectators, Alex said: “Embarrassing.
“The code violation was absolutely necessary.
“You can’t hit the ball in anger, especially not at Wimbledon.”
Miss Pippa Gribben (51) and her daughter Evie Gribben (18), both from Clevedon, North Somerset, said they loved the drama.
Mrs Gribben said: “It was absolutely incredible – players playing at the top of their game, a bit of tension, a bit of code breach, the crowd loves it.
“I felt Kyrgios really came under Tsitsipas’ skin, with which he is very good.
“I was hoping we would have a fifth set, but it ended brilliantly.”
Miss Gribben said she enjoyed the match more than she would have been at Center Court watching Grand Slam player Rafael Nadal, who was playing at the same time.
She told PA: “I wanted Kyrgios to win.
“You could see there was a lot of tension between them from the first set.
“I will not trade it for the Nadal match, it was a great match.”
Retired Asda event coordinators from Birkenhead, Merseyside, Wendy Dewhurst, 69, and Carol Morton, 68, said they were hearing impaired, but the crowd was so loud it even felt for them.
Ms Dewhurst said she thought Kyrgios was “playing acting” and lay on the ground minutes after a fall “like a footballer”.
Ms Morton agreed, adding: “It was just a match of resentment, and it could have been nasty.
“I had a message from my daughters when we were there, and they said ‘it also becomes like a football match’.
“It was naughty. This is not tennis.
“Roger Federer will never act like that. It was like Ilie Nastase.
“The crowd cheered, it never happened.”
Tallulah Belle (48), a teacher from Hackney in north-east London, said the obvious tension between the players caused fights among the crowd over who they wanted to win.
She told PA: “I like Kyrgios when he plays, not when he has a tantrum, but my sister-in-law who was next to me was for Tsitsipas, so we had our own fight, every point.
“I just find him an exciting player. If you get rid of the ego, he is really talented.
“Tsitsipas play sick tactics and so does Kyrgios, so they were well suited today.
“Nobody wants a straight game, drama makes it exciting.
“I think Kyrgios plays for the cameras.
“If there is no drama, I do not think he can bring out his best tennis. It inspires him to have drama. ”
Ms Belle added that she thinks the amount of yelling is “unnecessary”.