By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted ,
Update
Alexander Zverev Geoff Burke/REUTERS
THE SPORT SCAN – A spectator was expelled from the US Open during Germany’s Alexander Zverev’s match against Italy’s Jannik Sinner for shouting the words to Nazi Germany’s anthem from the stands.
When Alexander Zverev served in the fourth set in the Round of 16 against Italian Jannik Sinner on the court Arthur Ashe, the 12th-ranked German, stopped to address chair umpire James Keothavong. “He just said the most famous Hitler phrase in the worldZverev told the referee. “It’s incredible“. Keothavong then consulted security officials in an attempt to identify the culprit. Eventually, a man wearing a blue baseball cap was singled out and ordered to leave the compound.
Zverev later told reporters that he heard the viewer sing the opening words of the Nazi-era German anthem, “Germany Uber Alles“. “He started singing the Hitler anthem at the time – Deutschland Uber Alles – it was a bit too muchsaid Zverev. “He got involved in the game for a long time and I don’t mind. I like when the fans are loud, I like when the fans are emotional, but I think as a German I’m not really proud of this story, it’s not really a good thing to doadded the 26-year-old.
“And he, sitting in one of the front rows, many people heard him. If I don’t react, I think it’s not right of me“, he underlined. Zverev, however, said he did not let the incident shake him as he eventually secured a five-set victory over the world No.6 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 , 6-3.
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