American doubles star Mike Bryan was fined $10,000 on Sunday for making a shooting gesture with his racket, aimed at a linesperson, during a match at Flushing Meadows on Saturday night.
Bryan turned his racket upside down and held it as if he was holding a gun, in the direction of the official who had made a poor call. The incident happened late in the second set of the second-round doubles match between Mike and Bob Bryan and Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain and Federico Delbonis of Argentina.
Trailing by a set but leading 6-5, the Bryans challenged a lob that had been called in. When the Hawk-eye replay showed it was clearly long, Mike Bryan turned his racket round so the handle was aimed toward the linesperson, before going on to point his finger toward both the umpire and linesperson.
The umpire, Louise Engzell Azemar, awarded Mike Bryan a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“What did I do? Just tell me what I did, real quick,” Mike Bryan asked. The umpire answered: “You made a gesture. I don’t think that is appropriate.”
The Bryan brothers went on to win the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.