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‘Nobody likes you': Rivals in heated on-court clash

‘Nobody likes you': Rivals in heated on-court clash

The Age16 hours ago

A Wimbledon warm-up event turned ugly as former world No 3 Maria Sakkari told Yulia Putintseva that 'nobody likes you' at the end of the match.
Sakkari reached the second round after completing a 7-5, 7-6 victory at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany. As the players shook hands, Putintseva was quick to take her hand away, angering Sakkari.
Putintseva then mocked Sakkari by pretending to curtsy, which the latter took exception to, saying: 'Respect me like a human being.' Putintseva fired back as she walked back to her chair: 'I was being like a human being. Look at yourself.'
Sakkari asked Putintseva to repeat what she said, and the two exchanged more words before Putintseva told Sakkari to 'leave her alone.'
Sakkari appeared ready to walk away, saying 'f------ hell' but after hearing another comment from Putintseva, she hit back again, repeatedly telling her: 'Nobody likes you' and adding: 'When you shake hands, look at the other person in the eye.'
The match umpire eventually stepped in, saying: 'Ladies, please'. However, Putintseva performed another bow for Sakkari and walked off the court.
It represented the latest on-court flashpoint involving Putintseva after she was slammed last year for showing 'disrespect' to a ball girl at the US Open.
With Putintseva a set and 4-2 down to Jasmine Paolini, the girl attempted to throw balls towards the Russia-born player from Kazakhstan before she took serve. But the player did not attempt to catch or pick up the ball; instead glaring at the girl with her arms down by her side.

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Yulia Putintseva extends lengthy tennis rap sheet with fiery post-match exchange with Maria Sakkari
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Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva has found herself in hot water once again after a confrontation with Greece's Maria Sakkari following the pair's meeting at the Bad Homburg Open. Sakkari beat Putintseva 7-5, 7-6 (6) and as the pair came together at the net for the customary post-match handshake, sparks flew. Putintseva did not seem too interested in congratulating her opponent, quickly slapping hands with Sakkari before walking away. Sakkari did not take too kindly to the gesture and had some words towards Putintseva, who then did a sarcastic curtsy in response. "Respect me like a human being," said Sakkari, to which Putintseva replied: "I was being like a human being. Look at yourself." The pair continued to exchange words even after shaking hands with the chair umpire, with Sakkari walking over to Putintseva's bench after hearing her continue to mutter. "Nobody likes you," Sakkari said before the umpire intervened, adding: "When you shake hands, look at the other person in the eye." 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Strycova and Putintseva had handshake history leading into this match, with Strycova scolding her opponent in 2014 after not being offered a proper handshake. It appeared Putintseva had decided to over-compensate as a result. "I like to squeeze hand normal, but she squeezed me, like, hardcore! These bones — oww! Oww!" Strycova said at the time. "I was like, 'Why'd you do that?' She said, 'You squeezed my hand.' I said, 'I squeezed your hand normal! Just let it be.' "I didn't really care. It's nothing big. Just, why?" Later that year, Putintseva was roundly booed at the Nürnberg Open when she refused to initially shake hands with German opponent Anna-Lena Friedsam after a three-set win. After match point, Putintseva walked past Friedsam and shook the chair umpire's hand, only to be chased down by Friedsam. Eventually, she agreed to shake hands as the chair umpire got involved. 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She appeared to extend her hand towards the chair umpire before quickly drawing it away before the umpire could shake her hand. Putintseva was tennis's public enemy number one last year after a bizarre exchange with a ball girl during the US Open. During a loss to Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Putintseva stared blankly at a ball girl and let two balls bounce off her, prompting vitriol from the tennis community. Six-time grand slam singles title winner Boris Becker was among those heavily critical of Putintseva's actions, slamming what he deemed to be "terrible behaviour" on X. Australian doubles great Rennae Stubbs was also taken aback by Putintseva's actions, writing at the time: "The disrespect and obnoxious behaviour here is unbelievable and typical from her." Putintseva did offer an apology for her actions after the incident. "I want to apologise to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls," she wrote on social media. "Honestly speaking, it was not about her. 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