MELBOURNE, Jan 24: Australian Open organisers raised security to “unprecedented” levels on Saturday as police combed video evidence and top players expressed concern over the tournament’s latest brawl.

As some 45,000 fans packed Melbourne Park, record numbers of security personnel and police were on duty to prevent a repeat of Friday’s ugly scenes.

Dozens of Serbian and Bosnian fans clashed after Novak Djokovic’s win over Amer Delic, hurling plastic chairs and aiming punches and kicks at each other and leaving one woman injured.

Organisers were reluctant to discuss “operational measures” but said they were confident of dealing with any further trouble.

“We’ve increased security to unprecedented levels to help us prevent that,” tournament director Craig Tiley said. “We’re sending a message that if you’re going to be disruptive, you’re not welcome. And if you’re disruptive when you’re on site you’ll be evicted and we won’t allow you back.”

Croatia’s Mario Ancic became the latest player to speak out on the violence, which mirrors running battles in 2007 between Croatian and Serbian fans.

Last year, police used pepper spray to subdue rowdy elements of the crowd watching a match between Konstantinos Economidis of Greece and Chile’s Fernando Gonzales.

“If sports people are going to be role models we have to stand up and say what’s going on here is not right,” Ancic said. “These things should not happen. I don’t know why they started, they started in the last two or three years, it was never before.

“This is a friendly Grand Slam with every nation supporting each other but what’s happening is overstepping the line. We all have to stand up and say we’re against fighting. It’s never good to mix politics and sport.”

With three-time champion Roger Federer and Ana Ivanovic also strongly condemning the violence, Serbia’s Djokovic came under fire for his lukewarm response.

“The defending champion failed the community by refusing to be drawn on the issue,” wrote Weekend Australian columnist Patrick Smith. “It was a meek, selfish and irresponsible stand. He was, in the most important battle, a loser.—AFP