An unusual incident happened during the second round of the Australian Open 2025 match on Wednesday night when Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina were forced to leave the court due to loud disruptions from a neighbouring court. The thrilling match between 29th seed Auger-Aliassime and Spain's Davidovich Fokina was taking place on Court 8. However, after a few rounds of the game, the atmosphere from the neighbouring Court 6, known as the 'party court' because of its proximity to a popular bar, became overwhelming for both players. Australian Open 2025 Day 5 Highlights Daily Round-Up and Match Results: Jannik Sinner, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek Advance to Next Round; India's Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli & USA's Ryan Seggerman Suffer Defeat in Men's Doubles.
The constant noise from the nearby drunk fans made it difficult for the players to focus. After 42 minutes of play, the umpire and tournament officials intervened and decided to move the match to Court 7. The players made their way to Court 7, and the match resumed. It is to be noted that Court 6's reputation for creating disturbance is nothing new. The court has a bar that has divided opinion among players. Last year French player Arthur Rinderknech criticised the rowdy behaviour of the crowd. He called the court a "nightclub" after facing taunts during his match.
The Australian Open first introduced a "party court" last year, with several opinions made on whether it was a good idea or not. However, the organisers said ahead of this year's Grand Slam event that the two-storey bar had become one of the most popular sites to take in tennis. The organisers further added that this has helped them to increase their capacity. Australian Open 2025: Novak Djokovic Breaks Tie With Roger Federer for the Most Grand Slam Matches in Tennis History.
Talking about the match, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated Felix Auger Aliassime in a thrilling five-set match 6-7 (7-9), 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3, after he made a stunning comeback after losing the first two sets that went into tie breaks.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 16, 2025 08:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).