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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« Previous 1 2 3 Next »Krzysztof · October 24, 2017 at 5:05 am
Chang served underarm to Lendl at French Open 1989 because he was extremely tired, had cramps, and thereby he wanted to surprise Lendl as he had problems with running.
catherine · October 24, 2017 at 7:01 am
OK – if it was 1989 I wouldn’t have known anything about it anyway.
Makes sense Chang’s tactics.
Scoop Malinowski · October 24, 2017 at 7:57 am
The underhand serve is meant as an insult, it’s a disguised mock, basically telling the opponent I think I can beat you with an underhand serve. Or it is meant as a surprise to rattle or disconcert the opponent who could feel insulted or embarrassed if they lose the point by bungling the underhand serve. It’s trickery and gamesmanship, pure and simple.
catherine · October 24, 2017 at 8:07 am
Scoop -Would a player be allowed to use an underarm serve frequently during a match ?
Hartt · October 24, 2017 at 8:20 am
It will be interesting to see if Tomic does get a wildcard for the AO. Apparently Hewitt has a say in that decision and he is not a fan of Bernie’s lack of effort, both on and off the court. Also, there are several young Aussies who would have to be considered for a WC – Alex de Minaur, Akira Santillan and Kokkinakis are all 21 or younger. Also Mathew Ebden who is not young but is ranked No. 120, higher than Tomic’s 145.
Dan Markowitz · October 24, 2017 at 9:16 am
Marco Chuidinelli plays last match, 17 year career, in Basel losing to Haase. Says he knew it was getting close to curtains when in Feb he played a Futures in France and lost like 1 and 1 to the no. 900 player.
Can’t see that happening, but Winston Lin of Columbia U fame is playing a Futures in Israel this week and he’s ranked no. 933.
Scoop Malinowski · October 24, 2017 at 9:17 am
Catherine, A player can serve the entire match underhand, he can serve his entire career underhand. But it’s not effective at the high levels. It’s more of a tactic to surprise the returner, who will need to be alert to step forward and suddenly have to hit a different return from a different position on a slower ball. I know a few older guys who had shoulder problems and now have to serve underhand always and they get it deep and it’s hard to attack a slow deep underhand serve and most players just hit it back neutrally. The times I see it are often by big servers who try to catch you off guard and sneak it in on you quick. A lot of players miss it or get fooled by it but I have always gotten it back and won most of the points because it’s insulting and you play better when you’re annoyed or insulted. 🙂
Chazz · October 24, 2017 at 11:32 am
I think a drop serve is a better strategy than an underhand serve because it can be disguised better. I have used it to ace people that stand 3 feet or more behind the baseline. Kevin Anderson should have tried it against Nadal in the US Open final when Nadal was standing so far back. All you have to do is use your normal serving motion with half the force. I think it’s much easier to pull off than an underhand serve.
Hartt · October 24, 2017 at 12:17 pm
Jack Sock just defeated Vasek Pospisil in 3 sets. Vasek got in as a LL. I only saw parts of the match because I was concentrating on Mischa Zverev’s match. From what I saw a lot of big serving, big hitting and some good volleys. The 2 played pretty much the same way, so I don’t find that as interesting as when there are contrasting styles. A very cool handshake at the net from these 2 former doubles partners.
Mischa vs Leo Mayer was entertaining because there was so much variety. Although I was sad that Mischa lost, have to admit that Mayer played well, with some terrific DTL shots, some good CC passing shots, plus some effective volleys. In the last game, where he broke Mischa, he had a perfect lob. Mischa, as usual, had some terrific volleys, including some fine BH volleys, a shot I could watch all day.
catherine · October 24, 2017 at 12:25 pm
Hartt – BH volley is the greatest shot in tennis. I’ve seen the best 🙂
Dan Markowitz · October 24, 2017 at 12:32 pm
Chazz, got a disagree with you. Whenever you use an overhand motion, unless you really cut it, the ball is going to bounce up more than if you a slice undercut motion to serve. An underhand serve you can twist out of the box or keep low making it hard to attack while an overhand serve usually sits up if you don’t hit it with some speed.
Chazz · October 24, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Well Dan, admittedly I’m basing this on the foot speed of your average USTA players, not professionals. When I have done it, the opponents haven’t been able to get to the net fast enough even if it bounces a reasonable height. But in the case of Anderson vs. Nadal, it may not have brought a positive result against Nadal’s blazing foot speed.
Hartt · October 24, 2017 at 1:03 pm
Catherine, I fell in love with the BH volley when I got to see Edberg play live a few times. Obviously that was a long time ago now, but I still remember those beautiful shots!
Scoop Malinowski · October 24, 2017 at 1:20 pm
Chazz, Great idea. I patty cake a soft serve in now and then and it does work, it’s a nice changeup from a faster serve and a lot of heavyfooted players bungle it. But I never practice it, just do it when the opportunity presents itself. I imagine practicing it you could place the first bounce close to the net. Do you practice this “drop serve”?
Scoop Malinowski · October 24, 2017 at 1:22 pm
Hartt; I think Sockpisil have grown apart. Sock killed Pop last year in Brisbane and they did not seem friendly then at the handshake. Imagine another Sock beatdown of Pop has only widened the distance. Sock is just a better singles player with more weapons. Good win for Sock after losing six in a row.
Scoop Malinowski · October 24, 2017 at 1:25 pm
Agree Chazz, Nadal is so alert from the return position I just can’t see him being fooled. Can’t recall anyone ever trying to fool Nadal. Maybe someone will try. I think such a play would enrage the raging bull another notch. Great players do not like being clowned like that, it’s a sign of disrespect. Chang pulled it off against Edberg and Lendl which I’m sure infuriated them.
Chazz · October 24, 2017 at 1:40 pm
Scoop, no. I’m like you, I don’t really practice it. I rarely use it because most players are smart enough to stand near the baseline because my serve isn’t overpowering. I think once in a while you’ll get a player that has a habit of standing far back or out of position. If I had a huge serve I would probably use it a bit more.
I watched some of that Sock-Pospisil match. Sock barely pulled it out and could have lost. On a couple of his service games in the 3rd, he was 0-40 and came back to win them. Pospisil just couldn’t capitalize at key times.
catherine · October 24, 2017 at 2:00 pm
That court in Singapore is so slow it’s an offence against the game. I watched some of Muguruza/Pliskova and they’d have moved faster through treacle.
Not the way to showcase women’s tennis. And not a vintage year either. I suppose Simona will win but I can’t work up much interest.
Hartt · October 24, 2017 at 3:01 pm
Scoop, the match between Sock and Pospisil was not a beatdown, it was actually quite close. But winning against Vasek these days is not a great feat, he is down at around No. 105 in the rankings. As I said, Pospisil was was the LL to even get into the main draw. Unfortunately, for all his athletic talent, Vasek never learned how to be a strong competitor. When he is having a very good day, when he is “on,” he can have a win like he did over Murray this year. But otherwise he does not know how to manufacture a win, and he is too inconsistent, both within a game and from match to match.
Scoop Malinowski · October 24, 2017 at 7:20 pm
Hartt; In a way it’s worse than a beatdown. Sock had lost six in a row, his confidence is low, he is vulnerable, this was Pop’s shot to sock some revenge on his old partner. It was a close tight battle but Pop still failed. Bitter loss however you want to label it.
Hartt · October 24, 2017 at 9:18 pm
Scoop, you can probably tell from my last post that I gave up on Vasek a long time ago.
dan markowitz · October 24, 2017 at 10:42 pm
I watched the Sock v Pop match and found it very entertaining, more so than Qball v Ramos, where the points were longer and rarely did anyone venture to the net. Pop and Sock were both advancing to the net often. It made for some great shotmaking. And it is sick and incredible how Sock hits his forehand.
Pop is good, but he’s none too versatile a player and his FH today was very iffy. Sock is interesting because the guy seems to be just this side of Tomic on whether he wins or loses a match.
Fed was amazing today in what I saw. He made Tiafoe look like an amateur. It is truly amazing how well at 36 Fed is moving. Will he be able to move almost as well at 40? It seems like he may. Agassi at 35 had already slowed down a good deal.
catherine · October 25, 2017 at 4:25 am
Tournament talk –
Martina Navratilova is complaining that the players pay more attention to Grand Slam events than regular tournaments and she says that this wasn’t true in her day. She’s talking about WTA but she’d probably say the same about men. Claims that too many players treat regular events as practice for the big ones.
I think Martina is misremembering – don’t tell me she didn’t think winning Wimbledon was a lot more important than winning Eastbourne, or the US Open than Mahwah.
GS events are the pinnacles of the game. All sports have them, and need them. So I’m not sure what Martina is really saying – that players don’t try in regular events ? She wouldn’t dare. I’d be interested in the players’ reaction, if any. They won’t like being lectured by individuals old enough to be their mothers or grandmothers.
Maybe there’s been some sponsors moaning about the poor attendence at regular tour events – but nothing new about that – some draw, some don’t, and the top players can’t play everywhere. And ‘slamless No 1s’ ? Who really cares ? WTA No 1 can be pretty meaningless.
catherine · October 25, 2017 at 4:28 am
Hartt – Genie Bouchard has been in Ireland, kissing the Blarney Stone 🙂
Is she hoping for an upturn in her singles play ?
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2017 at 8:20 am
Pospisil had an amazing career to get to 25 in the world. I still remember Steph Myles scoffing at me when I said Pop could be top 30 about seven years ago when we were watching a very young Pop push F Lopez to four tough sets on an outer court at US Open.
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2017 at 8:23 am
Sock cares but he likes to show that nonchalant demeanor. A lot of great players had that quality – Rios, Conchita Martinez, Sampras. Fed will be playing well into his 40s.
Chazz · October 25, 2017 at 8:25 am
What happened to Donaldson? He lost 0 and 1 to some guy named Marton Fucsovics in Basel. I had never heard of Fucsovics but apparently he’s #100. Still, a bizarre result for a very consistent player.
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2017 at 8:26 am
Catherine; it’s the age-old gripe that players don’t take smaller events seriously. Remember young Sampras said after losing the final of Philadelphia, “nobody remembers who won Philadelphia.” Which ticked off that woman Marilyn who ran the Philly indoor event in the early part of the year in the late winter, which evaporated many years ago. Maybe the players are being a bit more blatant about it now. Maybe the tennis powers that be need to give more points to the smaller events and tier 2,3 events?
Hartt · October 25, 2017 at 8:26 am
Dan, I saw all of Fed’s match and he gave an absolute Master Class. Fed in full flight is truly amazing. I felt sorry for Tiafoe. Fed can’t play at this level in every match, but at his best he is an absolute delight to watch. Roger has said that Agassi was an inspiration, someone who continued to play when older. But the way Fed is going, his longevity will be more like Rosewall’s.
Vasek played well by his current standards. Maybe playing Sock was an incentive to up his game. But he has lost in qualies in his last 4 matches, he was very fortunate to be the LL this time.
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2017 at 8:29 am
Bouchard says she is a quarter Irish and has a lot of family there.
Hartt · October 25, 2017 at 8:41 am
Catherine, re Bouchard – whatever helps! Maybe she is wishing for a good coach.
catherine · October 25, 2017 at 8:43 am
Scoop – Yes, I think that’s the way things were and are and will ever be. The other events are just supporting acts. The governing bodies can tinker around as much as they like but no one’s going to burn themselves out when there’s a chance they’ll have their name on a GS trophy. History calls.
I remember Philadephia, Ed and Marilyn Fernberger. The late winter curcuit was fun. Martina usually won the women’s – Chris didn’t play because she didn’t like indoor tennis. Women used to finish at Madison Sq garden.
There’s a great photo in the archives of John Mac and Borg posing in enormous fur coats (fake fur ? Probably not) at I think the Washington tournament.
catherine · October 25, 2017 at 8:45 am
More holiday fun- CoCo was in London visiting the Tower – didn’t see Anne Boleyn’s ghost but may have been impressed by the Crown Jewels 🙂
catherine · October 25, 2017 at 8:47 am
Gotta share this – Woz bt Simona 6-0 6-2. Has Caroline got something to prove ?
Joe Blow · October 25, 2017 at 9:35 am
Woz whipped her to prove she’s still the best #1, never to win a Major
catherine · October 25, 2017 at 9:39 am
Looks like it 🙂
Cahill occ just a gabble, too much information – Simona wasn’t even listening. You could tell. Just glazed.
Joe Blow · October 25, 2017 at 10:58 am
As far as caring about the smaller tournaments:
They only care if they are protecting points, or chasing money. Some take their appearance fee and just go through the motions. Probably not realizing that the promoter won’t give them a fee the next year, after going out in their first match.
Scoop and Dan should get hold of their phones or computers and turn them on to this site. They would see how much faith gets put into a player winning a round, in a 250 or a Challenger. The fame of being praised on TP, will go their heads. This site where if you lose to a top 59 player, you are considered to be playing top 50 tennis. Not taking into account that the top 50 guy or gal, is playing top 200 that day.
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2017 at 11:00 am
Fur coats – sounds like the creative publicity photography of Art Seitz who feels creative publicity stunts are missing today in tennis, too much of the same old pose shots 101.
catherine · October 25, 2017 at 12:03 pm
Is Art Seitz still around ? There’s a great story about an incident in the 80s at the USO involving Martina and Art which I couldn’t tell at the time.
I agree about the same old pose shots. And Art got to places other photogs didn’t dare go 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2017 at 4:03 pm
Catherine; Art is everywhere, he’s a regular at US Open, Miami Open. He’s got a lot of great stories and some are not fit to print 🙂 I don’t recall hearing any of his colorful Martina tales, please do tell 🙂
Dan Markowitz · October 25, 2017 at 5:12 pm
Chazz,
Saw the Hungarian JD played at the US Open against Mahut and he gave the Frenchman a real good match. Still 0 and 1 is very surprising. JD’s played a lot; he may be running on embers.
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2017 at 8:31 pm
Marton Fucsovics has been hot lately, he beat Rublev and Khachanov in Davis Cup, beat Gulbis and Janowicz recently. The Davis Cup wins vs Russia were big. Fucsovics was a top junior who won junior Wimbledon in 2010. He is 25 now. Looks like he’s finally figured out how to get the job done at the ATP main tour level.
catherine · October 26, 2017 at 3:46 am
Scoop –
The incident with Art Seitz happened in 1982 at the USO as a bit of falling out between Martina, who lost to Pam Shriver, Art, and Martina’s companion at the time, Nancy Lieberman. The argument continued off court and ended with Martina grabbing Art’s camera and ripping the film out (impossible today of course). I believe a court case was involved although I don’t know what the outcome was.
While I was looking that up I noticed 1983 USO was the tournament where Pam yelled ‘Shut up!’to Andrea Jaeger during a bad tempered 3 set match which featured a good number of expletives from both players.
Makes today’s well mannered lot seem pussycats in comparison 🙂
Of course Andrea had a difficult time as a player but she’s made a good thing of her life since with her children’s charity, which I notice Simona supports.
catherine · October 26, 2017 at 4:14 am
People do like a good spat – the brief argument between Cornet and Kerber in Beijing (?) attracted thousands more views on Youtube than many good matches. You don’t want to read the comments though.
Chazz · October 26, 2017 at 9:02 am
I did not know that about Marton Fucsovics. Thanks for the info, I’ll keep an eye on him.
Scoop Malinowski · October 26, 2017 at 9:15 am
Chazz; Focsovics has had mostly bad results for the last seven years. Not sure if any injuries but I do recall a lot of bad results, heard also that he was not a hard worker. But things have suddenly changed this year and I would guess beating Donaldson 0 and 1 is possibly the best win of his career outside of the wins in Davis Cup this year against Rublev and Khachanov back to back.
catherine · October 26, 2017 at 11:44 am
Martina Hingis retiring after Singapore.
Hartt · October 26, 2017 at 12:50 pm
I was surprised at the Hingis news. I thought she would go on forever. As someone on another site said, maybe this is why she waffled when asked about playing mixed doubles with Jamie Murray next season. It was an awkward moment at the time.
Hartt · October 26, 2017 at 12:58 pm
I just watched a very entertaining match between Kyle Edmund and the Austrian qualifier, Dennis Novak. Had no plans to watch it but the match was so compelling I stayed through the last ball. Edmund is ranked around No. 60 and Novak around No. 280, so obviously the Austrian was a huge underdog. But he took it to 3 TBs, and at one time it looked like he could win.
It is a holiday in Austria today, so the stadium in Vienna, which seats over 16,000, was nearly full. The crowd had a lot to cheer about. There were some terrific rallies with both guys making excellent deep shots. Novak, who is playing mainly Futures these days, played out of his skull. But Edmund did win the 3rd set TB quite handily in the end.
Scoop Malinowski · October 26, 2017 at 1:04 pm
Hingis retiring is maybe the biggest surprise of the year. She still loves to play and she is still great, she is going out on top. This might even be a better exit than Pete Sampras, who retired months after his US Open win in 2002. This is a heavy loss to womens tennis.