Serbia captain slams 'unpatriotic' line judges

Sat, 04 Dec 22:00:00 2010

Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic poured scorn on the line judges and called them "unpatriotic" after France won the doubles on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in the Davis Cup final.

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"We are not asking them to be thieves and give us anything, but some of them were absolutely awful today and they made several bad calls at key moments in the match," Obradovic said after the game.

"They were like a dark force out there and their lack of patriotism was astounding. If they feel anything for their country they ought to wait for a customary second at close calls to make the right decision.

"We know them very well and we are completely aware that they are trying to build a career by siding to the (International Tennis Federation). We won't stand in their way but they must remember that they are only here because Serbian tennis has become a force."

Serbia's duo of Viktor Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic took a two-set lead but eventually succumbed to France's Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.

Troicki said: "At times we felt like the line judges were French and we were playing in Paris."

The enthralling encounter was played in a raucous atmosphere that threatened to boil over in the closing stages of the second set.

With Serbia a set up and leading 6-5 in the second, several hundred French fans screamed for a foot fault on Troicki's serve and Serbian supporters responded with loud jeers every time the French duo hit the ball after the restart.

Following protestations to the umpire by both sides, Serbia's number two singles player, Janko Tipsarevic, warned the home crowd that Serbia could be punished with a point or game deduction if the fans carried on.

With the match tied at two sets apiece, some Serbian fans left the Belgrade Arena, and Obradovic lambasted those who "appeared to have bigger priorities at such a crucial time".

He said: "The fans have to understand that these lads are playing their hearts out for their country, they have sacrificed so much to get Serbia into the Davis Cup final.

"Zimonjic, for example, has missed his child's birthday today and has played the entire campaign with an injured elbow.

"Not once has he complained.

"I expect the nation to wake up from the apathy it seems to have fallen into, stop taking us for granted, and we expect a partisan full house tomorrow because it's still not over."

Serbia's Novak Djokovic takes on Gael Monfils in the opening reverse singles rubber on Sunday (1200 GMT), with Tipsarevic due to play Gilles Simon thereafter.

Reuters

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  1. 1. Someone mentioned Monica Seles and true - no one was­ equal to Monica during her prime time. Steffi Graff was­ far less talented and the 'superior' West could­ not bear`that a Slav girl was the ultimate world­ champion and the best tennis player so the stabbing was­ not the sick act of a crazy fan - it was planned and­ paid for and framed such that the guy was pinned with­ mental illness to stay out of jail and keep his mouth­ shut.
    2. Serbia has a;always had the greatest minds­ (Nikola Tesla) and players in soccer, basketball, and­ now tennis.
    3. Serbian crowd or fans were no less loud­ or disruptive than US fans in US or French fans in­ France, or fans from any other country. It is that the­ West cannot digest the losses to Slavs and other­ eastern countries because the West has always suffered­ from the superiority complex finding ways and means to­ stay on top no matter how ethical or unethical but­ surely we don't ever hear of unethical ways as all­ the media is mostly controlled by them.
    4. So, well­ done Serbs and shame on all of you here who commented­ that you're glad you're not Serbs. How low and­ racist of you but that must be your 'polite'­ Western upbringing.

    From Bree Lewis, on Tue 7 Dec 21:38
  2. Thank you Serbia for not letting me down! I knew you­ can move mountains if you really want. Nothing is­ impossible for those who believe in themselves! Davis­ Cup is yours! Tennis world will revolve around you for­ one full year. You have a heart like no one else!­ Cestitam!

    From Cika Ckalja, on Mon 6 Dec 2:08
  3. nemojte da se sekirate ,i vi cete da pobedeite al za 15­ godina,dok ovi DIVOVI odu u penziju ili opet izmislite­ neke sankcije

    From radojica, on Mon 6 Dec 1:18
  4. Claims he's not asking them to give the team­ anything... but really that's EXACTLY what he's­ asking for. How would the line judges ever expect to­ make it into the ITF if they weren't doing the best­ job they could? Obradovic is being a vindictive little­ hypocrite.

    From AkA, on Sun 5 Dec 23:15
  5. steta sto je francuska tako velika nacija a narod tako­ malog srca

    From radojica, on Sun 5 Dec 22:35
  6. Nole will crush Gael and France will take it 3-2.

    From Ned, on Sun 5 Dec 21:40
  7. What an unprofessional comment, his ignorance to what­ fair play is disgusting and I'm sure he speak for­ himself and not Serbia

    From Elsy, on Sun 5 Dec 20:01
  8. Or you really are jelauos because we are very strong in­ sport....yeah, you are, and you think if your country­ is bigger, harder, you think you have better sport?!­ this is crazy, and we have proved that to you....what­ happend with seles?! none of tennis players could have­ beat her, until some crazy graf's fan stabbed­ her!!!!! This is unsport gesture you've showed us­ because she was very strong for you.....what a­ shame...and shame is that you are attacking us knowing­ that we are better in tennis than you.....and for­ this-we had lost correctly, and we have showed our­ madness for loss, but you have some gesture in other­ countries: what happend in match at us open 2009-­ serena vs clijsters? and what happend in match us open­ 2004 serena vs capriati??? i know so many more­ situations like this.... shame for us for showing­ madness, and bigger shame for you for your attacking­ better than you...
    p.s. french were awesome,­ congratulations.......

    From vldvlado, on Sun 5 Dec 19:03
  9. well gione.silva, Nicholas told you everything.. thanks­ Nicholas !
    I was absent for some time here, and yes,­ Roger really plaid like from another planet this last­ masters… very well done to him.. maybe his best level­ for some years, huge difference then 2008 I 2009.­ Level. ! when playing like that, really no one can do­ him bigger damage.
    I think the words of Obradovic were­ exaggerated, but maybe not taken out of the context..­ you could understand his frustration.. it is­ frustrating to loose after two sets up.
    and his point­ is simple: on home ground, you expect from home line­ judges, to be more "friendly" to the home­ team.. it is in human nature, and od if different..­ completely strange is to be opposite,
    And very­ important not to misjudge what he said: no one forced­ them to steal, no ! But wasn’t expected as well from­ the line judges to make more mistakes in favour of­ visitor then the home side, coz it’s really not normal,­ especially for the Davis cup matches. There is some­ margin of errors, but on home round, in percent, they­ are more in favour of home side.. simple !
    Here is­ opposite, not only in this match.
    But this shouldn’t be­ approval for the defeat !
    and pore Obradovic could kept­ this for himself, as a typical Serb.. never diplomatic,­ always too honest.

    From Phoenix, on Sun 5 Dec 18:29
  10. Can't believe the Serbian captain said all that­ post match! This is a sports event, not war. Patriotism­ doesn't apply.
    On the other hand, I just read­ Arnaud Clement's interview in L'Equipe. He said­ it was the ambience of the crowd (jeering perhaps?)­ that inspired and carried them through to from the­ third set onto winning the game.

    It was a fantastic­ match! Well done Llodra and Clement!

    From katlin, on Sun 5 Dec 18:15
  11. Troicki was stomping around like Frankenstein's­ monster with that block head he has.....and then he­ CHOKED. will the Serbs riot today?

    From Morty, on Sun 5 Dec 18:05
  12. samson u obviously don't have a clue what u r­ talking about.check the results of serbian athletes­ before embarrassing yourself again:-)

    From Radomir K, on Sun 5 Dec 17:48
  13. i am so happy u r not a serb 2 ray v u sorry excuse for­ a human being lol.did any of u even watch the game?do­ u even know what u r commenting on?i mean-for real if­ this had happened in any other country u would be­ blaming the refs 2.for example,look at the brits.russia­ was bribing fifa-that's why we lost our bid for­ world cup.any comments on that?u probably think­ it's true.i wonder why.the only thing he said­ unless u take the words out of the context is that the­ line judges should've taken a few secs before­ deciding the ball.what's wrong with­ that?what?everyone expects 2 have at least a fair­ refereeing in his own country.is it 2 much 2 ask for?we­ lost 1 point when the france supporters started­ shouting all at the same time in the middle of the­ point.did we get a replay?no.when lodra was serving­ same thing happened.do u know what molina decided?first­ serve.that doesn't strike u as odd.there were other­ examples of this.so please get your facts straight­ before splashing dirt about serbian people in­ general,especially ray v and bobito.what,we can't­ ask for a fair calls?france spoke about our supporters­ being unsportsmanlike.do u know what french fans did­ during the points and when serbians wanted 2­ serve-screaming their lungs off.enough said about their­ fairplay!remember how they went 2 world cup,henry's­ hand offside etc. yeah they r a real nice bunch of­ people

    From Radomir K, on Sun 5 Dec 17:47
  14. After what this idiot said, even if Serbia winw, nobody­ is going to believe that it was fair and square.

    From Jimmy, on Sun 5 Dec 16:54
  15. Not only that they lost, they sounded like real losers­ in post match interviews. Dont call them line judges if­ you want them to be patriotic. In order for the Serbs­ to win this Davis Cup finals in Belgrade they need the­ aid of patriotic tennis officials. I think this is what­ the captain is trying to imply. I'm so happy i am­ not Serb. lol

    From Ray V, on Sun 5 Dec 15:31
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ma daj ćuti, čoveče...­ čuvaj svoju intimu.

    From Milos, on Sun 5 Dec 12:07
  17. I read it carefully enough Radomir. If you are calling­ for patriotism from line judges and appealing to their­ feelings for their country, you are, by that very fact­ asking them to be biased and give deliberately false­ calls. Everything else he said was balderdash. If he­ wanted them to call the lines correctly then patriotism­ and their feelings for their country were irrelevant.­ He was asking them to cheat.

    From Bobito, on Sun 5 Dec 10:38
  18. I am absolutely loving it thankyou Nicholas.

    From Bobito, on Sun 5 Dec 10:33
  19. Ignore the Avraam Con account everyone. That is an­ imposter and not the real me.
    Idiot clone do you have­ nothing better to do?

    From Con, on Sun 5 Dec 10:28
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Bobito don' t be an @#$%.I understand his reasoning­ although he may've chosen the wrong words.Only­ thing he asked is for the judges 2 wait if there was a­ close call.U obviously haven't read the article­ carefully.

    From Radomir K, on Sun 5 Dec 10:26
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