WIMBLEDON - An obsessed fan was reported to have held tennis star Venus Williams in a choke-hold after evading five security guards to slip into her changing room at the Wimbledon tournament.
The Williams sisters' personal bodyguard wrestled the man to the ground but could not hold him as he dashed away.
He was cornered by security metres from the exit.
The Sunday Mirror's source said: 'This nutter managed to get into a strictly forbidden area.
'He went past five security guards during his path to the dressing room and should have been checked.'
The intruder, thought to be obsessed with Venus and Serena, was a paying spectator who slipped into the players' lounge.
Then, as the sisters were leaving their changing room after a doubles match last Tuesday, he walked in taking photos.
But the 1.8m tall man, pounced on Venus, swinging his arm around her neck and yanking her towards him.
A spokesman for the 23-year-old player appeared to corroborate the incident.
He said in yesterday's Sunday Mirror: 'She felt the bodyguard handled the situation excellently.'
But a spokesman for Securicor, the firm looking after the players, would only say: 'A visitor was taking photos of Venus which made her feel disgruntled.
'A man was detained by police, a formal warning given and he was released.'
Last year, Serena was stalked by German fan Albrecht Stromeyer, 35.
Security for Venus - beaten by her sister in Saturday's final - was supposed to be on high alert after fears she was being pursued by a stalker.
But the source said the changing room was not properly guarded as at least one official 'knocked off early'.
The Williams sisters' personal bodyguard wrestled the man to the ground but could not hold him as he dashed away.
He was cornered by security metres from the exit.
The Sunday Mirror's source said: 'This nutter managed to get into a strictly forbidden area.
'He went past five security guards during his path to the dressing room and should have been checked.'
The intruder, thought to be obsessed with Venus and Serena, was a paying spectator who slipped into the players' lounge.
Then, as the sisters were leaving their changing room after a doubles match last Tuesday, he walked in taking photos.
But the 1.8m tall man, pounced on Venus, swinging his arm around her neck and yanking her towards him.
A spokesman for the 23-year-old player appeared to corroborate the incident.
He said in yesterday's Sunday Mirror: 'She felt the bodyguard handled the situation excellently.'
But a spokesman for Securicor, the firm looking after the players, would only say: 'A visitor was taking photos of Venus which made her feel disgruntled.
'A man was detained by police, a formal warning given and he was released.'
Last year, Serena was stalked by German fan Albrecht Stromeyer, 35.
Security for Venus - beaten by her sister in Saturday's final - was supposed to be on high alert after fears she was being pursued by a stalker.
But the source said the changing room was not properly guarded as at least one official 'knocked off early'.
