Wimbledon | Fognini bomb blast now faces lengthy ban

Italian hot-head Fabio Fognini is facing the prospect of being banned from the US and Australian Opens after claiming he wished a bomb would drop on Wimbledon.

For sure I was not happy about my performance today Fabio Fognini

Fognini, booted out of Flushing Meadows two years ago after calling a female umpire a ‘whore and a c***sucker’, was caught making his latest remarks during Saturday’s 6-3 7-6(12) 6-3 third round loss to Tennys Sandgren.

Upset about playing his match on Court 14, Fognini who also cut three of his knuckles after punching the strings on his racket, said during the match in Italian: “Is it fair to play here?

“Damned English, damned really. Wish a bomb would explode on this club – a bomb should explode here.”

At Wimbledon two years ago, Australian Bernard Tomic was fined $US15,000 for claiming he was ‘a little bit bored’ during his first-round defeat to Mischa Zverev.

So, already on probation, Fognini is almost certain to face a more serious sanction for his attack on the All England Club.

The 32-year-old offered up a half-hearted apology after the match but refused to comment on the possibility of punishment.

“Most of the time when you’re on the court, you’re frustrated,” Fognini said. “For sure I was not happy about my performance today.

“Something happen on the court, if I feel sorry for somebody, I have to say sorry.”

Following his US Open outburst in September 2017, the World No 10 was handed a $US96,000 fine by the Grand Slam Board, half of which was suspended for two years, in addition to a two-slam ban.

That punishment would be enforced if the Board deem his latest outburst to a major offence.