Man throws chair during ugly Australian Open fight

Video footage has emerged of a man throwing a chair and another pushing a woman during a rowdy argument at Melbourne Park.

A man has thrown a chair and another has pushed a woman during an ugly fight at the Australian Open.

The Herald Sun understands a group of men were standing in line at the Peroni precinct at Melbourne Park when an argument occurred on Friday.

In video footage posted to social media, a man is pushed against a fence while another swings a punch.

Another man then grabs a white chair and throws it towards the group.

A woman tries to break up the fight but is pushed in the shoulders and stumbles backwards.

The group continues to fight, pushing and shoving each other before security and Responsible Service of Alcohol officers intervene.

It’s unclear how or why the fight began.

It comes as Australian tennis great Pat Rafter has labelled rowdy crowd behaviour at the Open as “disrespectful”, but believes the game is undergoing a period of transition as it ushers in a new generation of fans.

“It’s been like that for a couple of years,” Rafter said.

“Sometimes I think it is disrespectful, sometimes I think it’s just part of the game, the transition of this generation – that’s what they want and this is the Australian Open.”

A man throws a chair at a group of people.

A woman is then pushed during the altercation.

The two-time grand slam champion’s comments came after American player Danielle Collins was booed off the court after losing her third-round match on Saturday night.

Earlier in the week, Collins played the role of the Melbourne Park “villain” when she provoked the crowd after her win over local hope Destanee Aiava, telling the crowd to “shut up” and jibed “thanks for the pay cheque”.

Meanwhile, tennis fans took to social media to raise their concerns about alcohol at the Open.

“People claiming this is a new thing at the tennis, it isn’t at all,” one man said.

“Sunshine and full day boozing don’t mix. Always some sort of scuffle.”

Others said the tennis crowd “seemed a bit rowdier than usual” and “too much alcohol” was “ruining the AO”.

A Melbourne and Olympic Parks and Tennis Australia spokeswoman said “strong security processes” were in place.

“Melbourne and Olympic Parks and Tennis Australia is committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for all guests attending the Australian Open,” she said.

“M&OP and TA, together with its food and beverage partners, take responsible service of alcohol obligations very seriously.

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to violence or anti-social behaviour of any kind and do not tolerate guests who are alcohol affected and whose actions affect the experience of others around them.

“We have strong security processes in place and are working closely with Victorian Police to ensure any instances of this type of behaviour are effectively managed.”