Caroline Wozniacki appeared to be the player most distracted by an annual invasion of flying ants at Wimbledon today as she was dumped out of the tournament in the second round.
The Australian Open champion, seeded second for SW19 after winning the Eastbourne International for the second time, found herselfpestered by scores of the insects during her clash with world No 35 Ekaterina Makarova on Court One.
An exasperated Wozniacki requested some repellent after losing the opening set, and battled back to emphatically claim the second. She then dropped the decider, losing 4-6, 6-1, 5-7.
The Dane had earlier expressed her displeasure to the umpire, complaining that the insects were continually flying close to her mouth and hands as she tried to concentrate on the match.
"We need to do something, can we have like a spray or something? This is ridiculous," she said while also calling for the tournament official to be contacted.
"It's in my hair and everywhere. You want to be here to focus on playing tennis and not eating bugs."
Commenting on the infestation around the grounds, Wimbledon organisers explained: "The natural seasonal appearance occurs once a year when ants embark on what is often referred to as a 'nuptial flight', which should otherwise be thought of as a mating ritual."
