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Mind your language, players told

LONDON — Officials at the Wimbledon tennis championships have launched a crackdown on swearing, after expletives marred the first day’s play in SW19 as tennis stars from top seeds Serena Williams to Britain’s youngest new star Liam Broady were warned about their language.

Broady was given an official warning after repeatedly swearing when he dropped a few points in his match against Marinko Matosevic. Photo: Getty Images

Broady was given an official warning after repeatedly swearing when he dropped a few points in his match against Marinko Matosevic. Photo: Getty Images

LONDON — Officials at the Wimbledon tennis championships have launched a crackdown on swearing, after expletives marred the first day’s play in SW19 as tennis stars from top seeds Serena Williams to Britain’s youngest new star Liam Broady were warned about their language.

Broady was given an official warning after repeatedly swearing when he dropped a few points against Marinko Matosevic.

The tension clearly getting to him, Broady, 21, snapped at the umpire about his treatment: “Guys who are top three in the world on Centre Court don’t get it.”

Five-time champion Serena Williams was given a code violation for an “audible obscenity” during her first round win on Court One.

And Australian star Nick Kyrgios appeared to yell “dirty scum” during his first-round match after a fiery exchange with an umpire. The 20-year-old later denied that the insult was aimed at umpire Mohammed Layhani, claiming it was actually directed at himself. But he avoided a reprimand as the umpire did not hear it.

The players’ rule book warns that any “audible obscenity” could result in a fine of up to US$20,000.

If such a violation occurs during the warm-up or the match, it will initially result in a warning, another could result in a one point deduction, a third in losing a game and a fourth, potentially losing a match.

But Broady said: “To be honest, emotions run high when you’re on court. I deserved the code violation, to be honest. I was swearing quite a lot at the back.

“But I was doing it to the guys in my corner, and otherwise people were making noise in the stands, so I thought no one would hear it.”

He said he had no idea of the potential fines and would not have sworn if he knew how much it could have cost him.”

However, he reiterated his view that some of the top seeds got away with far worse when on court, adding: “It’s really strange sometimes to see guys like that get away with it. I think maybe sometimes the umpires are intimidated by them and don’t give it to them.”

One former star who would likely rail against the rules is John McEnroe, 56, who said last week he believed fiery exchanges between the players and umpires should be encouraged.

The three-time Wimbledon champion said such confrontations were such a feature of his matches during the late-1970s and 1980s, against the likes of Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.

“The players need to be able to feel that they can express themselves,” said McEnroe. “I’m sure on the soccer pitch, they’re not saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’ Or on the rugby field.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

Selected first-round results

Men’s singles:

Ivo Karlovic (Croa) bt Elias Ymer (Swe) 6-7 6-2 6-4 7-6

Roger Federer (Sui) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1 6-3 6-3

Rafael Nadal (Esp) bt Thomaz Bellucci (Bra) 6-4 6-2 6-4

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt Gilles Muller (Lux) 7-6 6-7 6-4 3-6 6-2

Benoit Paire (Fra) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) 6-4 6-4 6-3

Women’s singles:

Petra Kvitova (Cze) bt Kiki Bertens (Ned) 6-1 6-0

Elina Svitolina (Ukr) bt Misaki Doi (Jpn) 3-6 6-3 6-2

Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Esp) beat Varvara Lepchenko (US) 6-4 6-1

Casey Dellacqua (Aus) bt Tamira Paszek (Aut) 6-2 6-2

Angelique Kerber (Ger) bt Carina Witthoeft (Ger) 6-0 6-0

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