Tennis Prose




Oct/17

21

Kyrgios Alleges Mirka Misconduct

RFEDERER

By Scoop Malinowski

This week Nick Kyrgios graciously answered tennis fans questions on Twitter including one particular seemingly harmless query: “What’s the toughest part of playing Fed?”

Much to the surprise of everyone, Kyrgios replied: “Mirka heckling and whistling at me between serves!!”

Nick then quickly added “just kidding” but which part is he kidding about? That that really is the most difficult aspect of playing Roger? Or that Mirka does not and never would interfere with one of Roger’s matches?

Mirka Federer has already come under fire for her noisy involvements in at least one important match of her husband – the 2014 World Tour Finals semifinal against Stan Wawrinka who openly chastised Mirka for her distraction methods during the match. Wawrinka complained about it but the controversy was soon smoothed over and Stan and Roger teamed up a week later to win the Davis Cup for Switzerland, amid rumors that Stan requested to Roger than Mirka not be present at the final tie vs France.

So now Kyrgios has again, in a joking manner, alleged that Mirka Federer heckles and whistles between serves.

Could it be true? Could it really be true that Mirka Federer aggressively distracts certain opponents of her husband?

Such an underhanded scheme has happened before in tennis. One former pro player told me he was playing Marcelo Rios in Davis Cup and was trailing two sets and finally had a break point at 3-3 in the third set. The player said a fan in the crowd made a noise with a noisemaker during the service motion of Rios and Rios subsequently double faulted and then proceeded to lose the match. This player did not confess to manipulating the fan to do this but he did offer sly smile when describing the memory which indicated that he had indeed pre-planned the ploy.

So these kinds of incidents, while rare, do happen in pro tennis.

And now that Kyrgios has put it out there, it will be most interesting to see how Federer responds. This is a notable jab and puncture of his pristine image as a near peRFect sportsman.

Kyrgios has played three extremely close and competitive matches with Roger Federer, including two classics this year, the three tiebreaker Miami epic and the sensational Laver Cup showdown two weeks ago. The Federer vs Kyrgios rivalry is one of the best in pro tennis today.

And Kyrgios challenging and outing the Federer box for unsportsmanlike conduct, or misconduct, will surely add another dimension and layer of controversy to this intriguing rivalry.

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117 comments

  • catherine · October 26, 2017 at 2:22 pm

    I think Martina will want to stay in the game – maybe coach at some point ?

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 26, 2017 at 4:58 pm

    She has already coached several players including Putintseva, Lisicki and Bencic. She should continue to coach certain players and possibly not limit her acumen to only helping female players. Sock, Dimitrov and Raonic could probably benefit a lot with Hingis in their corners.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 26, 2017 at 7:34 pm

    Fucsovics won big again today, 3-0 ret. over L Mayer. This guy Fucsovics is just annihilating very good players right now after barely squeaking in via qualies..

  • catherine · October 27, 2017 at 5:48 am

    Scoop – the sun will rise in the West before any of those gentlemen employ a woman coach – even someone as experienced as Hingis.

  • Hartt · October 27, 2017 at 6:54 am

    I don’t know enough about Dimitrov to know what his stance on having a female coach would be. But I don’t know that Raonic would have a problem with it – he has certainly hired a wide variety of coaches, even giving a guy like Ljubicic his first coaching job. So he is not afraid of trying new things. Have never heard him talk about women coaches one way or the other, but he does not seem to be prejudiced against women. But am not sure just what Hingis would bring to his game.

  • catherine · October 27, 2017 at 7:33 am

    I know anything can happen in tennis but Caroline Garcia is seriously good. Came from 0-6 down to beat Wozniaki in 3. Just does not give up and has all the shots. To me she’s the story of the year, even if she doesn’t go further in Singapore.

  • catherine · October 27, 2017 at 7:38 am

    And it’s rubbish that she’ll be out of the tournament if Simona wins, which she will. But that’s these silly made-up events for you. Tennis should be a knockout.

  • catherine · October 27, 2017 at 8:58 am

    Halep loses to Svitolina- sends Garcia into semis. Sack Cahill 🙂

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 27, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Catherine, one day we would have thought a top ATP player hiring Amelie Mauresmo would have been a pipe dream. I think Hingis is more qualified and more experienced as a diverse player than Mauresmo and would make a better coach. Never say never…

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 27, 2017 at 9:06 am

    Garcia seems to have improved considerably since she decided to drop doubles with Kiki and they had that mini spat. Hey, if Andy Murray said Caro Garcia can be no. 1, she can be no. 1. Andy Murray is no dummy.

  • Dan Markowitz · October 27, 2017 at 9:06 am

    Catherine,

    What’s the furthest Garcia has gone in a slam this year? I don’t recall her going deep into any one of them.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 27, 2017 at 9:07 am

    Where’s Pavel?

  • catherine · October 27, 2017 at 9:47 am

    Scoop – I agree re Hingis, but she’s relative young, 37, and we don’t know what other plans she may have. She does seem to have a good coaching temperament. We’ll see.
    Pavel doesn’t seem to be in Singapore. He fills in when Cahill can’t be there is my impression. I honestly feel Simona plays better without Cahill – but that conversation’s worn out now and I don’t expect any changes.

    Dan – haven’t looked up Garcia’s record but pretty sure she didn’t reach the later rounds at W’don, FO or USO. Her surge came in the Asian events. Maybe something clicked.

  • catherine · October 27, 2017 at 10:12 am

    Garcia reached QF at FO this year and 4th R W’don. Otherwise run-of-the-mill results. Definitely improved since she dumped doubles.

  • Thomas Tung · October 27, 2017 at 2:29 pm

    Hingis has a fantastic tennis mind, and would be an incredible asset as a men’s coach (for that matter, so would David Nalbandian, if he can be torn away from his rally racing, and enjoying the good life). Both had, generally speaking, very similar games/playstyles, with heavy emphasis on tactics/point construction, and both had the lovely down-the-line backhands.

  • Krzysztof · October 27, 2017 at 5:03 pm

  • catherine · October 28, 2017 at 3:47 am

    Mirka was joining in a lot of irritated spectators when Nick seemed to be stalling. She maybe should’ve kept quiet but she didn’t do it during actual play.

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