MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Yulia Putintseva turned ‌pantomime villain at the Australian Open on Friday after taunting a raucous crowd of Turkish supporters ‌following her 6-3 6-7(3) 6-3 victory over qualifier Zeynep Sonmez in the third round.

The ‌Kia Arena was transformed into a sea of red Turkish flags as fans flocked to support their unlikely hero Sonmez, ranked 112th in the world, in her bid to become the first player from Turkey to reach a Grand Slam fourth round in ‍the Open Era.