Violence erupted at the Australian Open today when rival Serbian and Bosnian fans hurled chairs and missiles at each other as the tournament was once again marred by ethnic tensions.
Violence erupted at the Australian Open today when rival Serbian and Bosnian fans hurled chairs and missiles at each other as the tournament was once again marred by ethnic tensions.
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Some 30 people in their late teens and early 20s were evicted after the clashes, which left one woman injured, following Serbian Novak Djokovic's win over Bosnian-born American Amer Delic, police said.
Disturbances continued outside the tennis centre after the men and women were thrown out.
In unprecedented scenes, the two sets of supporters gathered at Garden Square outside Rod Laver Arena after the match with the riot sparked by one of the group throwing an object at the others.
Dozens of chairs were hurled as passers-by cowered before police and security guards quickly stepped in.
One woman was hit on the head by a chair and needed treatment for cuts and bruises, with two people charged with riotous behaviour and discharging a missile.
"A number of people got into a chair-throwing contest between two groups with the result that 30-odd people were ejected from Rod Laver," said Inspector Chris Duthie of Melbourne East Police.
"We're charging two on summons and one will be receiving an on-the-spot fine.
"The matter was dealt with very quickly and very effectively by the police and we expect no more problems at this stage."
The Australian Open has gained an unsavoury reputation for ethnic clashes.
In 2007, the tournament was overshadowed when Serbian and Croatian fans, wearing the national colors of the bitter Balkan rivals, attacked each other with flagpoles, bottles and boots.
Then last year, police used pepper spray to subdue rowdy elements of the crowd watching a match between Konstantinos Economidis of Greece and Chile's Fernando Gonzales.
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