Novak Djokovic threatens crowd that booed him at Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic, the reigning Wimbledon champion and a four-time consecutive winner of the tournament, has faced an unexpected challenge from the crowd during his first two matches at this year's Championships. Known for his dominance on the court and his pursuit of tennis history, Djokovic arrived with the aim of joining Roger Federer in the record books for the most title wins at SW19 in the Open Era.
However, the Serbian player was left disgruntled by the reaction of the spectators, who booed him during his matches against Pedro Cachin and Jordan Thompson. Despite securing straight-set victories in both encounters, Djokovic appeared visibly distracted as the majority of the Centre Court crowd rallied behind his opponents. While he has faced hostile conditions from the crowd throughout his career, the cheers against him seemed particularly difficult for him to accept.
In a statement to Serbian media, Djokovic expressed his frustration but also found motivation in the situation. He remarked, "They're actually doing me a favor. The more they cheer against me, the better off I am. With me, they wake up to something they might not want to see - a winner. As a player, you want to have the majority of the crowd on your side, I don't want to play in a belligerent atmosphere."
While Djokovic admitted that he often finds himself in such situations, where the crowd supports his opponents, he acknowledged that it can be challenging to accept at times. However, he also recognized the spectators' right to cheer for his rivals. Djokovic's reaction at the end of his match against Thompson, where he cupped his hand over his ear, reflected his disappointment and desire to respond to the crowd's behavior.
The experience of facing adversarial crowds is not new to Djokovic, as it has occurred in major tournaments around the world. Nevertheless, he views it as an opportunity to find additional motivation and elevate his game. He stated, "It gives me fuel and additional motivation, it inspires me to play even better."
In the upcoming third round, Djokovic will face his familiar rival Stan Wawrinka. Although Wawrinka trails Djokovic 6-20 in their head-to-head encounters, he has emerged victorious in four of their last five Grand Slam meetings. The match promises to be an intriguing battle between two formidable competitors.
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Bomb threat prompts security sweep at Lourdes Central School in Mangaluru
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): A bomb threat email sent to Lourdes Central School on Thursday triggered a major security operation, with police and bomb disposal squads conducting a thorough search of the premises, authorities said.
The email, received late on Wednesday night, warned that a bomb would explode at 9 am.
Upon receiving the alert, personnel from the Kadri Police Station rushed to the school along with the bomb detection and disposal squad.
A comprehensive inspection of the campus was carried out, police said.
Dog squad teams were also deployed to assist in the search operation to ensure that no suspicious object was left unchecked, a senior police officer said.
Authorities said similar threat emails have recently been sent to other locations in the state, including the Dharwad Court Complex and the Mangaluru Court, prompting heightened vigilance.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the sender names used in the emails appear to trace back to Tamil Nadu, though the authenticity of the identities is yet to be verified.
Further investigation is underway.
