Map of the Balkans
Ethnic tensions between the Serbs and Croats seem to be a permanent fixture on the tennis circuit. I touched on it earlier this week in my post about Monica Seles inspiring a generation of Balkan tennis players from Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia. I discussed my fascination with the Powder Keg of Europe.
Australia has a large Bosnian/Serbian/Croation immigrant community. At last year’s Australian Open, the police pepper sprayed fans after there was a riot between the fans.
Racial Taunts Marr Cilic Victory Over Tipsarevich, 6-2, 6-3, 4,-6 6-3
Yesterday yet another fight broke out between fans of the Serb, Janko Tipsarevich (my favorite) and Croation Marin Cilic (one to watch). Janko has taken the lead in trying to get this rivalry under control. He asked the tournament to schedule the match for a show court so there was more room between the two fan bases.
During the match, the fans screamed racial taunts at each other. Janko stopped play twice to tell the fans to tone it down.
“Both Serbs and Croats were a little bit incorrect, singing songs that had nothing to do with tennis because of the history we have with each other,” Tipsarevic said.
“I think two or three times I even said to the Serbian crowd, ‘don’t call him names, it’s OK to cheer for me but don’t say bad things about him’.”
Peace prevailed until after the match, when police broke up a bar fight and ejected warring fans.
Delic rallies from 2 sets down, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, pleads with fans not to disrupt next match against Joker.
Bosnian-American Amer Delic, who played college tennis for Illinois, completed a thrilling comeback to beat the 28th seed, Paul-Henri Matthieu, 1-6, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 9-7. This is the first time Delic has reached the third round of a grand slam.
Serbian fans confronted the vocal contingent of Balkan fans after the match, prompting Delic to call for peace in advance of his third round matchup with #3 seed Novak Djokovic.
Delic, who overcame Mathieu in five sets, said he wanted his fans to calm down and not turn his third round match with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic “into World War III”.
“I’m going to try and tell my fans that we don’t need to be embarrassing ourselves in front of the world and I hope Novak says something to the Serbian fans also,” Delic said.
“You know, leave the politics aside. It’s not my fault and it’s not Novak’s fault.”
He added that he would also speak to the leaders of the Bosnian community in Melbourne.
Delic is an American citizen. But he is doing the right thing here. Delic said he would also post a message on his website. Will Joker step up?
With so many talented, young Croats and Serbs in tennis, this problem won’t go away until the players, with the tour’s help, convince the fans to channel their passions positively. Don’t hold your breath.
Passing Shots 
Posted on January 21, 2009
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