"Knows she can only win if Iga Swiatek stops breathing" "A disgrace" - Fans react to Yulia Puntintseva 'mocking' Pole's breathing in Italian Open 3R
Yulia Puntintseva seemingly mocking Iga Swiatek's breathing technique during their third-round clash at the 2024 Italian Open has upset tennis fans. Many have taken umbrage at Putintseva's actions, criticizing her for her apparent lack of sportsmanship.
Swiatek delivered an impressive performance in her clash against Putintseva, clinching the opening set 6-3. She then displayed her resilience, battling back from a 4-1 deficit in the second set to claim a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an hour and 46 minutes.
The match also took a controversial turn when Putintseva was captured seemingly ridiculing the four-time Grand Slam champion's breathing motion, as the World No. 1 recovered to 4-3 in the second set.
Yulia Putintseva's gesture was perceived as "mocking" Iga Swiatek, with fans lambasting the Kazakh for her "poor sportsmanship."
"Well maybe if you learned to take some deep breaths you wouldn’t still be throwing temper tantrums on court at your big age 😕," one fan commented.
"I've never criticized an athlete before but this is just poor sportsmanship. Mocking your opponent for looking up & taking time on her own serve? Iga stayed within the allotted time & didn't break any rules. GROW UP," another fan chimed in.
"She's a disgrace to the sport," said another.
Some fans, meanwhile, sarcastically remarked that Putintseva was aware that she could only beat the World No. 1 if the Pole wasn't breathing.
"Girl the only way you're beating her is if she's not breathing so," a fan posted.
"She knows she can only win against Iga only if Iga stops breathing," another fan wrote.
The backlash against Putintseva continued among fans.
"29 and still a kid. Putintseva, no respect at all, disgrace of tennis. Before next tour go see a doctor first," one fan wrote.
"Good luck getting people to root for you, lmao what a loser," said another.
"And you're like:," another fan posted with a gif of a clown.
Iga Swiatek after Italian Open 3R win: "Yulia Putintseva's a tough opponent because she's changing the rhythm a lot; that's what makes her tricky"
With her triumph over Yulia Putintseva in the third round of the 2024 Italian Open, Iga Swiatek extended her perfect record against the 29-year-old to 3-0.
Despite her dominance over the Kazakh, Swiatek disclosed how Putintseva's ability to constantly change the rhythm of the match made her "tricky" opponent to deal with.
"Well, I think she's tough opponent because she's changing the rhythm a lot. She's also, as you could see today, playing differently," Iga Swiatek said in her post-match press conference.
"She was, like, two meters behind the baseline on the return, which she didn't do before. She can mix it up. She has a good touch. I think that's what makes her tricky," she added.
Following her win over Putintseva, Swiatek will battle it out against Angelique Kerber for a place in the quarterfinals in Rome.