SIMONA Halep believes the match point in her Wimbledon quarter-final defeat to Britain’s Johanna Konta should have been replayed after a fan screamed out, causing the Romanian to check her stride and shot.

Just as the second seed went into her wind-up on a forehand to stay in the tie, a woman’s loud, piercing scream echoed around Centre Court, the sound amplified to dramatic effect by the closed roof.

Halep was obviously distracted by the call and looked to umpire Kader Nouni to rule the point to be replayed.

But no call was forthcoming and Konta too looked bemused as she walked to the net after her 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win, which made her the first British woman to reach the semi-finals in 39 years.

“I thought he’s going to repeat the point. I think it’s normal to repeat the point when someone is screaming like that,” said Halep.

“He said, We cannot replay. I cannot change anything. So why I should fight?” Konta, 26, said the scream was just as distracting from her side. “It was a woman on my end who screamed. I think she got over-excited about the deep ball that Simona hit. It was actually as I was hitting my ball, so I think it more affected me than my opponent,” she said.

“I think the fans were a little over-enthusiastic in parts. But I definitely cannot complain with the amount of support and general good feelings that they were wishing my way.”

Fans and journalists took to Twitter to slam the “idiot” fan.

Some idiot in the crowd ruins the moment, though. Screaming out and causing a hindrance to Halep who puts forehand in the net. Shame. — Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) July 11, 2017

I am so so so mad it ended like that. Konta deserved her moment. Halep deserved to not…that.



Insert panda rage dot gif — Courtney Nguyen (@FortyDeuceTwits) July 11, 2017

Awful ending with a fan screaming out on match point, disrupting both players. Halep stared at Kader Nouni, hoping for a call. #Wimbledon — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) July 11, 2017

That's the weirdest finish to a match I've ever seen. — Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) July 11, 2017

“It’s a little bit surreal,” Konta said after the upset win.

“I’m definitely digesting things a little bit.

“I felt very clear about what I was trying to achieve out there. I continued to trust in the fact that what I was doing was going to bring me good things. “I believe in my ability.” The match ended in somewhat controversial fashion when Halep virtually pulled out of a forehand after an over-excited fan screamed in delight during match point after believing the Romanian had hit a forehand long.

Halep looked at the umpire, seemingly hoping to have the point replayed. Instead, he declared: “Game, set, match, Miss Konta.” “It was actually as I was hitting my ball so it actually, I think, affected me more than my opponent,” Konta said.

But clearly it didn’t, though, to Halep’s credit, she immediately shook the official’s hand after once again falling agonisingly short of securing the world No.1 ranking.

The 25-year-old would have leapfrogged German Angelique Kerber in the new rankings on Monday had she won.

Instead, Czech Karolina Pliskova — who lost in the second round — will go top. Halep also had the chance to seize the No.1 ranking at Roland Garros, but let a big lead slip in the French Open final against Jelena Ostapenko.

— with AAP