Genuine sports lovers were justly appalled at the shameful behaviour at a recent international tournament in Brazil when the Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki playing against Maria Sharapova used the sports arena to ridicule and vilify the great American tennis star Serena Williams.

In front of millions of TV viewers she stuffed towels under her vest and bottom in a mocking scene that included Serena’s typical moan on hitting a return ball.

In the more pedestrian and less elitist game of football, where fair play is continually drummed in, such atrocious insensitive behaviour would have meant immediate suspension for bringing the game into disrepute.

So far, the International Tennis Federation has not condemned what happened and I plead with both the National Tennis Federation and the Malta Olympic Committee to show their disapproval of such inhuman jibes in the interest of fair play.