Sep 3, 2010, 16:10 GMT
New York - Action shifted from the court to the sky-high upper deck at the US Open as a fight broke out between three fans during the first set of Novak Djokovic'c second-round win over German Philipp Petzschner.
The night-time scuffle, which ended when two men and a woman were led away in handcuffs after intervention by security, reportedly started when the woman objected to swearing from a young man seated nearby.
The man objected, reportedly daring the woman to hit him. She slapped him and the battle was on, with her father also getting into the fracas.
The situation finally calmed with the trio escorted out and warned not to return to the tennis.
The Open has a history of loud, if not rowdy, fans during night sessions in which alcohol sales fuel the evening's entertainment. Tournament officials laughed it all off.
A spokesman said there had been a 'disagreement over verbiage,' adding: 'It was a hot night in New York - things happen.'
The incident, while unthinkable in the more civilised venues of Roland Garros or Wimbledon, pales in comparison to several experience at the Australian Open when Balkan groups clashed on the grounds of Melbourne Park, with police and tear gas needed to break up the brawling during several recent editions.
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NOTEBOOK: Fish fine with result of his new fitness regime =
New York (dpa) - There's a lot less of Mardy Fish around the US Open these days after the American got serious a year ago about his game, dropping 20 kilos as he recovered from knee surgery.
Now, the svelte Floridian has been tearing up the courts, with two titles in two weeks this summer and a final against Roger Federer last month in Cincinnati.
Fish has made his way into the third round at Flushing Meadows, winning 15 of 17 games against Pablo Cuevas.
Fish called his weight loss one of the best decisions of his life.
'I really got aggressive with my training once I knew I was able to put in long hours and not get injured or have nicks and bruises and things like that which come up when you're probably not in your best shape,' said the 28-year-old.
The number 21 has even allowed himself a few moments to feel superior.
'You look over in the changeover and see the guy has got the ice towel around his neck and he's probably not feeling that well. That's why you put in the work,' he said.
'It got fun to practise. It's fun to try to outlast guys and it's fun to see when you play a match and you're in the heat and you crawl back and win that first set.'
As part of his diet, Fish cut out all soft drinks, fast food and the like, but admits that he looks longingly at pizza and other tasty - if off-limits - goodies which he used to eat regularly.
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