Caroline Wozniacki claims her family were subject to death threats during Miami Open defeat by Monica Puig
Wozniacki alleges security at Miami Open 'did nothing to prevent' the abuse and 'even accepted this to take place'
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Your support makes all the difference.Caroline Wozniacki has alleged that she and her family were subject to verbal abuse during Friday’s surprise defeat by Monica Puig at the Miami Open.
The 2018 Australian Open champion, who was beaten 0-6 6-4 6-4 in the second round of the competition, said on Saturday that death threats were also made against her family during the match.
Wozniacki claims security at Miami Open “did nothing to prevent” the abuse and “even accepted this to take place”.
"Last night I lost a tough match to a great opponent and friend Monica Puig at the Miami Open. I am fully aware that tennis is a game of wins and losses," she said on social media.
"However, during the match last night people in the crowd threatened my family, wished death threats on my mom and dad, called me names that I can't repeat here and told my fiancé's niece and nephew (who are 10 years old) to sit down and shut the f**k up, meanwhile security and staff did nothing to prevent this and even accepted this to take place.
"While I always encourage fans to cheer for their favourite player, and I thrive on a challenging atmosphere, when certain lines are crossed, it makes tennis miserable for both competitors.
"I hope the Miami Open chooses to take this seriously because it's a horrible example to set for the next generation of tennis players and fans. I wish Monica all the best for the rest of the tournament.”
Wozniacki looked to be in command of Friday’s match as she won the first set 6-0 but Puig, ranked 82nd in the world, started to apply the pressure at the start of the second, setting up a break point in the first game.
The Dane her serve after a 10-minute battle but Puig showed glimpses of what was to come, winning her first game with an ace and going on to claim the first break of the match.
Her backhand proved to be key as the Miami resident charged to victory in one hour and 55 minutes.
Unseeded Puig will now face Greece's Maria Sakkari for her first third-round match-up in Miami.
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