The tennis turned out to be one of the least interesting aspects of the men’s Australian Open final as the world No 1 Jannik Sinner predictably bulldozed Alexander Zverev, the No 2, to clinch his third grand slam and second consecutive victory in Melbourne Park. He did not face a break point in the match.
As Zverev, who had shed tears in the aftermath of his defeat, stood in front of the microphone to deliver his runner-up speech, a woman’s voice pierced the silence: “Australia believes Olya and Brenda,” she shouted, repeating the phrase twice more. Amid confused mutterings and some boos, the spectator was detained by security and evicted from the stadium.
