Nobody can tell me to stop grunting

Portuguese teenager Michelle Larcher De Brito swept silently into the second round at Wimbledon on Monday and then...

Portuguese teenager Michelle Larcher De Brito swept silently into the second round at Wimbledon on Monday and then defiantly refused to stop screeching if her matches get tougher.

The 16-year-old made headlines at the French Open when she wailed and screeched so loudly on court that her opponent complained to the umpire. Silence reigned in her 6-2 7-5 Wimbledon defeat of Klara Zakopalova. She barely made enough noise to frighten a bird from the trees.

Nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova had joined a chorus of complaints about the noise level in womens tennis but the defiant teenager will not be toning it down. Nobody can tell me to stop grunting, she told a news conference. If they have to fine me,go ahead because Id rather get fined than lose a match because I had to stop grunting, she said.

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She certainly wont be turning down the decibels when the matches get harder. If the matches are going to be tougher,obviously Im going to start grunting, she said. Im not here to be quiet for anybody. If people dont like my grunting,they can always leave.

Clearly irritated by the media spotlight that concentrated more on her tonsils than her tennis ability,she said: The only thing theyre really focusing on is my grunting. So it has been a bit unfair.

However,the Portuguese maintained her sense of humour and with a big grin,she mockingly told reporters: I tried to be quiet for you guys today.