 "Representational image. AP")
It’s been four days since the Australian Open got underway at Melbourne Park, with last year’s men’s and women’s champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka beginning their title defence on a winning note and other stars such as 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek collecting wins.
Among the matches taking place on Wednesday was the fourth-round meeting between Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Auger-Aliassime had defeated Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 in the opening round while Fokina was leading 7-6 (7-1), 5-2 against Juncheng Shang before the Chinese player retired.
What made the match standout from the others on the fourth day of the competition was the fact that it had begun in one court, and finished in another. The battle between Auger-Aliassime and Fokina was taking place at Court 7 on Wednesday. The players, however, could hardly concentrate on their game due to loud noise coming from the nearby Court 6, dubbed the “party court” as it includes a bar.
‘Party court’ at Melbourne Park halts play
The “party court” had been introduced by Australian Open organisers last year and despite becoming a topic of debate, it has witnessed an expansion recently thanks to a massive surge in popularity.
Spectators at Court 6, quite a few of whom were drunk were cheering loudly during the France’s Arthur Cazaux face Britain’s Jacob Fearnley, and so distracting was the noise that the match in Court 7 had to be suspended during the first set, and eventually moved to a different court.
Fokina would go on to knock Auger-Aliassime by winning the five-set thriller 6-7 (7-9), 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3, clawing his way back after losing the first two sets than went into tie-breaks. The battle lasted for nearly five hours and ended up finishing at 1.15 am local time.
‘Amazing atmosphere’
However, Cazaux and Fearnley, who were competing in the noise-filled Court 6, did not have an issue with the din; rather they loved the atmosphere.
“I actually didn’t really look at the court before I went on, so when I saw the bar, I was thinking it’s going to be a pretty rowdy atmosphere,” said Fearnley, who won a tense four-set clash 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 in the early hours of Thursday morning.
“Usually they go together, a bar and a rowdy atmosphere. Obviously there were some supporters who were extremely drunk, but it was a great atmosphere, amazing atmosphere.”
Cazaux too loved the experience, saying the noise gave him a “lot of energy”.
“It’s pretty special to have this kind of atmosphere,” he told French media.
“I don’t know what the supporters were thinking about. It was 11pm, it was 10 Celsius, they were in T-shirts, it was incredible!
“I love it, it gives me a lot of energy.”
The 22-year-old from Montpellier, however, sympathised with Fokina and Auger-Aliassime.
“Afterwards, I put myself in the place of Fokina or Felix, it would also drive me crazy to play next to a court where all I hear is screams. On the other hand, I take it.”