Berliner Tageblatt - Noisy racket on Australian Open 'party court' forces match move

A second round clash between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was briefly suspended on Wednesday night in the opening set at Melbourne Park.

The players were distracted by boisterous crowds making a racket as they watched France's Arthur Cazaux face Britain's Jacob Fearnley on neighbouring court six, which has a bar.

After moving to another court, Spain's Davidovich Fokina came through a tough five-setter to send the Canadian 29th seed packing.

While they were distracted by the noise, Fearnley and Cazaux had no problem.

"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 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 was similarly undeterred, enjoying the experience.

"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."

He added: "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."

The Australian Open first introduced a "party court" last year with opinions split on whether or not it was a good idea.

But organisers said ahead of this year's event that the two-storey bar had become one the most popular sites to take in the tennis and capacity has been expanded.

J.Fankhauser--BTB