Latest breach at French Open shows holes in security
It was a fan trying to have fun in a selfie-obsessed world. But it was also a serious breach of security at a major tennis tournament involving a tennis legend. And given issues the sport has had in the past, it has some asking how it could happen again.
It was an easy straight-set win for 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, sealing a first-round victory against Colombian Alejandro Falla.
But the real drama came after the game when a young man rushed onto the center court at Roland Garros and tried to score a selfie with Federer, who did not look pleased.
It took about 10 seconds for a security guard to finally intervene.
"Look how long it takes before finally someone grabs the young kid! Yeah, he's not happy," a commentator said.
And he wasn't.
"I'm not happy about it," said Federer. "It happened yesterday in the practice, too."
Federer had a run-in with another course-crasher in 2009, during the French Open final. A fan ran up to Federer and put a hat on his head.
And then two years ago, during the French Open final between Raphael Nadal and David Ferrer, a topless man with a white mask jumped onto the court with flares.
But the security breaches aren't always amusing. Twenty years ago, Monica Seles was knifed in the back by a Steffi Graf fan at a tournament in Germany.
The director of the French Open has apologized to Federer for Sunday's incident. But the tennis star said he wants to see what action the organization will take.
As for the fan, he has been identified and will be banned from attending any future matches. Obviously security for players is a major concern at these events, and on Sunday the tournament director acknowledged that Monica Seles was never the same after she was stabbed in 1993.
"There was clearly a before and an after Monica Seles," said French Open director Gilbert Ysern, as he faced a room full of reporters Sunday. "After that, all security in tennis stadiums and tennis courts was totally reviewed."