WIMBLEDON INVADED BY FLYING BUGS • CARO WOZNIACKI REALLY “BUGGED” BY THE SITUATION • MOTHER NATURE ALWAYS WINS

Written by: Staff on 6th July 2018

WIMBLEDON INVADED BY FLYING BUGS • CARO WOZNIACKI REALLY "BUGGED" BY THE SITUATION • MOTHER NATURE ALWAYS WINS

epa06864123 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark speaks with an official after struggling with a flying ant invasion on Centre Court while playing Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in their second round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 04 July 2018. EPA-EFE/GERRY PENNY EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO COMMERCIAL SALES |

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark speaks with an official after struggling with a flying ant invasion on Centre Court while playing Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in their second round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 04 July 2018. EPA-EFE/GERRY PENNY

Wimbledon Has It’s Second Annual Invasion Of Flying Ants

The All England Club may be building another roof over a show court and does not resist anything that might aid both players and spectators on grounds of cost. However, nothing can be done over a certain force of nature and once again the annual visit of the swarm of flying ants wreaked havoc at Wimbledon.

Nobody was affected more than second seed and reigning Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki who was hopeful of winning a second Grand Slam event title after winning last week’s Eastbourne International but ended up crashing out against world No 35 Ekaterina Makarova.

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark speaks with an official after struggling with a flying ant invasion on Centre Court while playing Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in their second round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 04 July 2018. EPA-EFE/GERRY PENNY

Wozniacki screamed for some assistance as the insect invasion was suddenly buzzing around No 1 Court. Several times she stopped to complain to British chair umpire Kelly Thomson about getting a bellyful of bugs.

However there was nothing anybody could do and the Dane’s hopes of reclaiming the world no.1 ranking she held after her January win in Melbourne ended as she joined the list of female big name exits that already included US Open champion Sloane Stephens, former champions Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova, and the much fancied Elena Svitolina.

“We’re here to play tennis, not eat bugs,” Wozniacki told the umpire during her defeat in two hours and nine minutes. “They are around my mouth and my hands. It’s really creeping me out.”

Wimbledon staff attempted to help Wozniacki by giving her a bottle of insect repellent in a bid to stop the swarming. However, the veteran Russian Makarova as suffering the same problems across the net and clearly handled the situation the better of the two players.

Exactly the same thing occurred last year when British No 1 Johanna Konta claimed she swallowed a few flying ants, while Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had a few up his nose. The All England Club even went as far as to release a statement.

Effectively this was the day when millions of flying ants leave their queen to mate. “The seasonal appearance occurs once a year when ants embark on what is often referred to as a ‘nuptial flight’,” insisted an All England Club spokesperson.

Many accused the normally affable Wozniacki of being ungracious to her opponent following the 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 defeat that saw Makarova waste four match points before reeling off six of the last seven points.

Wozniacki was clearly unimpressed by her opponent’s lengthy bathroom breaks at the end of each of the first two sets, commenting later that “she took her time”.

The distraught Dane added: “Everything was going her way. Sometimes it happens in tennis.

“It’s frustrating because I feel like I could have gone and done something really great here. For her to keep this level, I would be very surprised if you saw her go far.”

And of the uninvited insect guests, Wozniacki maintained: “It was definitely a first for me here. I just asked if they had some insect repellant. There were a lot of them at one point. All of a sudden it kind of died down.”