• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Rowdy fans ejected from the Open

Adjust font size:

MELBOURNE, Australia -- About 150 tennis fans were ejected from the Australian Open on Monday after Croatian and Serbian supporters became rowdy, police said.

Police said "unfamily like behavior" by Croatian and Serbian fans in the public garden area of the venue prompted police to take a "proactive stance" and eject the fans.

There was no fighting or arrests.

"They were mostly Serbians ejected as they were upsetting the Croatians," said Victoria state police spokeswoman Katherine Jess. "Police are now meeting with Tennis Australia officials to work out the next move."

Tennis Australia said it was happy with the way the situation had been handled.

"Fans in national colors have always been a welcome feature of the tournament," Tennis Australia chief executive officer Steve Wood said in a statement.

"However, if behavior by individual fans or groups starts to actively interfere with the enjoyment of others, we have established processes in place to step in.

"The venue staff here are highly experienced in this area and acted swiftly, in conjunction with the police, to control the situation and to escort the troublemakers off site without further incident."

One witness, who did not give his name, said the two groups clashed just outside the main tennis arena at Melbourne Park.

"The Serbs were chanting against the Croatians, the Croatians were chanting against the Serbs and it all got out of hand," he told Australian radio.

Melbourne has large Croatian and Serbian populations and rivalries between the communities has previously spilled into violence at football matches.

Community leaders from both sides condemned the brawling but blamed each other.

"National pride is one thing but this is unacceptable," Croatian Community Association secretary Tom Starcevic said.

"I wasn't there but from what I've seen and heard the Serbs were quite provocative."

Serbian Cultural Club president, Toma Banjanin, said Croatian supporters provoked Serbian fans by flaunting their colours.

"You didn't see many Serbs dressed that way," Banjanin said. "I think Croats are always overdoing things, they are always mixing politics with sport."

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• Some say moon landings were faked
• Explosions hit two Jakarta hotels
• Tiger crshes out of British Open
• Brad Pitt on tech etiquette
• Haussler wins as Lance stays third

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan

• Recruiting suicide bombers (2:50)
• London was lucky (2:36)
• Cars in London rigged as bombs (3:48)
• Second explosives-packed car foun (2:32)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)