On Saturday, Wimbledon witnessed one of those matches that raise comments, not so much because of the game itself as because of some extra-sports aspects.
The meeting in question, which faced the Australian Nick Kyrgios and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, was going on normally until the first, as he has been doing on a regular basis and has already become a hallmark, served below the waist.
And that is where what, in my opinion, should not have happened happened.
The Athenian, visibly annoyed, intentionally threw the ball that his rival had served into the stands.
It was from that unfortunate moment when the game turned sour and the Hellenic continued in his efforts to try to hunt down his opponent with balls.
At the subsequent press conference, he apologized for losing control and called his rival a stalker, as well as having an evil side.
On some occasions I have been critical of the Australian as a result of his rudeness, his unsportsmanlike attitudes, his recurrent outbursts or his unfortunate comments.
On this occasion, however, I think the blunder on the track is attributable to the Greek.
Ever since Kyrgios started serving from the bottom, a debate arose as to whether such behavior could be considered improper.
To me, it doesn't seem that way at all.
I don't see it as a practical lack of respect.
It is not established anywhere that the serve must be executed from above and I also think that multiple similes could be made within the framework of a tennis match or in the practice of many other sports.
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Is it reprehensible that a tennis player tries to deceive his opponent by simulating the preparation to hit a big shot and opting for a drop shot at the last moment?
Was it disrespectful or contemptuous when Federer stood too close to the service line on his opponents' second serve?
I consider it rather admirable and worthy of applause.
The player who does things for this purpose is offensive and unsportsmanlike, not the one who with his creativity or skill outwits an opponent with the intention of winning a point.
It is true that Kyrgios is too annoying, provocative and that he can easily drive his opponents out of their boxes.
However, I was greatly surprised that a tennis player of the level of the current number five in the ATP
ranking
, one of the candidates as he was to lift the trophy next Sunday, is not able to control himself, to contain his emotion and reject the opportunity to score a few points in a game and in a tournament of such importance.
Those of us who dedicate ourselves to this sport know very well that the paths that a match takes and, consequently, its outcome often depend on a few balls.
It is clear that Tsitsipas acted to his own detriment, lacking in the habit of dealing with those situations in which a player feels somewhat ridiculous, and unable to control his emotions and his nervousness.
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