"Why the hell are you talking to me?" screamed a perturbed Janko Tipsarević to a stunned face in the crowd. It was the final of the AEGON International 2011 at Devonshire Park, and the bespectacled Serb was cracking under pressure.
A set down to Italian opponent Andreas Seppi, Tipsarević became frustrated when a line call went against him.
With the court festooned in semi-darkness and only a smattering of supporters still braving the autumn-like conditions, Tipsarević took umbrage at a comment hurled from the stands and questioned the alleged abuser.
This was sport at its most dramatic - raw human emotion laid bare for all to see. The strain of top-class sport taking its toll on a hitherto placid and sanguine individual.
Seppi eventually claimed a 7-6, 3-6, 5-3 victory in the rain-interrupted final, with his opponent forced to retire hurt in his second match of the day. But the drama and compelling nature of that see-saw final whet the appetite beautifully for first-class tennis in Eastbourne.
The 2012 International is, for me, the most eagerly anticipated tennis tournament the town has ever hosted - Seppi will return to defend his title, but will face strong competition from former Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet and up-and-coming Australian teenager Bernard Tomic.
The list of female entrants, meanwhile, is enough to leave one salivating. Petra Kvitová, 2011 Wimbledon champion, will be hoping to go one better than last year when she finished as runner-up to France's Marion Bartoli, who will also be back to defend her crown.
Where better to start this stunning summer of sport than on the Sunshine Coast? Let's play.
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