Rafael Nadal said before the start of the Australian Open that he didn't consider himself a favorite because of his lack of preparation before the event.
His second-round opponent, however, has become an instant favorite after the class and sportsmanship he showed during their five-set match on Wednesday.
Rafael Nadal plans to play fewer matches per year to try to extend his tennis career
Little-known American Tim Smyczek, a qualifier ranked 112th in the world, stepped into Australian Open lore with Nadal serving at 6-5, 30-love in the fifth set.
The two had battled for more than four hours, and Nadal, whom the New York Times reported had struggled with fatigue, dizziness and nausea for much of the match, caught an unfortunate break.
Rafael Nadal declares himself pain-free after injury-plagued 2014
A spectator shouted something just as Nadal was swinging at his first serve. The serve sailed long. As the crowd groaned over the point, Nadal glared to where the noise had emanated and prepared for his second serve.
Smyczek, however, made the point moot, so to speak. According to the Times, the 27-year-old American motioned to the chair umpire, holding up two fingers to indicate that Nadal should be allowed to have his first serve over.
The umpire then caught Nadal's attention and told him that he was granted his first serve over. Video shows Nadal looking up, realizing what Smyczek had just done, and gave a thumbs up to his foe.
Nadal then walked away from the service line, gathered himself and hit a service winner as Smyczek clipped the net on a return of a ball into his body.
Smyczek then won the next three points to get the game back to deuce, but Nadal rebounded with a pair of winners to capture the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-5. Nadal fell to his hands and knees, covering his face after the match.
"I want to congratulate Tim - he's a real gentleman for what he did in that last game," Nadal said in his on-court interview. "Not a lot of people will do this at 6-5 in the fifth."
The website rafaelnadalfans.com even posted video of the point under the headline: "WATCH: Tim Smyczek Shows Amazing Sportsmanship Against Rafael Nadal."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
