Raucous crowds at Roland Garros a real test for players | Tennis News – Times of India
PARIS: For much of Thursday's late evening match, the crowd backed the home player, the underdog - Arthur Rinderknech.They were loud, boisterous even, cheering the Frenchman's effort and celebrating the misses of his opponent - American Taylor Fritz. It's what sporting audiences do.Fritz, the French Open's ninth seed, may have ruffled feathers by daring to ask the chair umpire to check a mark. That's not a Fritz original, it is what tennis players do, especially on clay.The wiry 25-year-old rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win and then promptly shushed the crowd. Finger on the lips. The American then alternated between signaling for the fans to shut up and lending them an ear, saying, 'come on, I want to hear it.'Former Wimbledon champion Marion Martoli, who was doing the on court inter...