TICKING THIEM BOMB
Furious Dominic Thiem has on-court bust-up after drinking out of can of RED BULL at US Open in Sumit Nagal win
FURIOUS Dominic Thiem rowed with US Open tennis officials on his 27th birthday over a can of Red Bull.
The Austrian requested the drink during his 6-3 6-3 6-2 win over Indian Sumit Nagal in the second round at Flushing Meadows.
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Yet he was told he would not be allowed to drink it straight from the can on the Arthur Ashe Stadium for sponsorship reasons and because it would have been considered as 'ambush marketing'.
A USTA official suggested they would pour the contents into a plain cup away from his sights.
But Thiem blew his top, claiming players are told to never drink an opened unobserved container.
The No2 seed raged: “You guys are crazy about anti-doping…but I’m drinking from the can.
“What the heck is this? Bring me a plain cup please and I pour it in.”
When a cup did eventually arrive, there were the ludicrous scenes of a tennis busybody holding a towel in front of the TV cameras so the label could not be seen worldwide.
Thiem, who is sponsored by the drinks company, later explained: “It’s not allowed, the Red Bull can, on court, which is completely fine. I know that.
“Sometimes it helps me a lot on court, so I want to have it. I can also drink it in a plain cup.
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“There was a little bit of a conversation. It was a little bit awkward.
“They wanted to go out with the open can and fill it in a plain cup without me observing it.
“That’s what p***ed me off a little bit because the anti-doping rules are so strict.
“I don't want to lose the can out of my sight.
“It was just a little thing. Nothing happened at the end.”
Thiem will now face Croatia's 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the third round on Saturday.
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