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Tennis: Nick Kyrgios targets Stan Warinka with inappropriate remarks at Rogers Cup

Nick Kyrgios is young and stupid.

He’s an ass.

A sorry ass but nevertheless an ass.

A sledge went awry and suddenly the bad boy of Australian tennis is the scourge of the gallant game.

Australian cricketers, perhaps, could teach the young man the intricacies of gamesmanship.

“Nick, don’t indulge in sledging with your front to the camera specifically with your voice audible to the on-court microphone. We could have easily told you that, mate!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIAP2TpBcQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI3fN9gI7gc

The insult was grave; it also needlessly involved a third party and a fourth, both of whom had very little to do with the battle in the center.

Kyrgios dragged Wawrinka’s current girlfriend Croatian Donna Vekic and Nick’s compatriot and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis into a sordid war of words.

Wawrinka recently separated from his wife and is now dating Vekic.

Vekic is a younger, blonder version of Maria Sharapova or Caroline Wozniacki or both or so the marketing geniuses at the WTA would have us believe.

She’s currently ranked 127th in the world.

Stan, the Man, was quick to respond to the hothead’s slurs taking to Twitter calling for swift action from the ATP.

The Swiss star revealed that he later confronted the Aussie in the locker room.

He said:

“He tried to avoid me, but I confronted him. I just hope that the ATP will take big measures against him because he’s young maybe, but there’s no excuse. Every match he has problems. Every match he behaves very badly. On top of that the problem is that he doesn’t just behave badly towards himself he behaves very badly towards the people around: the other players, the ball kids, the umpires. I really hope the ATP will take major action against him this time.”

Kokkinakkis was linked to Vekic in 2013 but has laughed off any such rumours of them being a pair except on court.

Kyrgios was fined $10,000 for his remark  by the ATP.

This is the highest fine allowed for an offense for bad behaviour while playing.

Novak Djokovic reacted:

“I think it is very important to keep the fairness in the sport. There is no excuse for what he has said.”

Kyrgios posted an apology on Facebook for his fans:

Members of the Kyrgios family have not made it easy for their starling.

Nill Kyrgios, Nick’s mother, speaking to Fairfax Media, said:

“It’s not a nice thing to say, it’s not, but you can’t always cop it on the chin from other people without retaliating. If you give people lip then you’ve got to receive some back. You know that Stan did say that Nick was faking an injury last time they played and Nick was actually very sick (with asthma). So there was no love lost there to start with. We let it go, we didn’t comment on Stan’s comment. That’s still in Nick’s head, so the minute that Stan starts giving Nick cheek, what do you think will happen? He’ll say whatever comes to his mind that will upset the guy.”

The Greek-Australian’s elder brother Christos was dumped from an interview with Sydney radio station Triple M.

Christos continued to make derogatory remarks about Wawrinka’s love interest Vekic.

The sibling appears to have said that Vekic “loved the ‘kokk’”.

Christos then went onto Facebook to update his online pals.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

“‘So just did a media interview for nick. Said Donna obviously loved the ‘kokk’ they cut my interview and said its the worst thing they have ever heard on air. Ah cheers.”

Friends posted messages laughing at his comment, before Christos responded: 

‘Hahahah f**k me who cares if the women likes a root – good on her, jump on the Kokk then on the stanimal IDC!! All I know it Nicholas Hilmy Kyrgios the king fried his ass.’”

In other reports, it is discovered that Kygrios delivered another barb at Wawrinka during the Rogers Cup match that he won.

He added another innuendo saying:

“He’s banging a nineteen-year-old.”

Much as we would all like to believe that these Kyrgios reprehensible actions are aberrations and there will be no such repetition of such obnoxious behaviour or attitude on-court or off, it is hard to believe that the young Australian can be reined in without an older, calming influence on him.

It is also clear that such a service can hardly be expected from his emotional family members who clamber on the train wreck that is Nick Kyrgios at full throttle.

It’s true that family is expected to stand together. But there has to be a line drawn at atrocious behaviour. While the Kygrios contingent is right to point out the history behind the provocation, Nick had no right to embroil Vekic or Thanasi in the drama. His mother and brother may be emotionally and financially invested in Nick’s success or failure in the sport but that does not allow them to dictate terms to the ATP or tennis fans.

Kyrgios was right to issue an apology and pay his fine. No further defense or excuses are needed. Social media fury is short-lived. The Australian has a glittering future awaiting him if he grabs his chances.

Lleyton Hewitt is believed to be mentoring the excitable talent. But is he the best person for the job? Hewitt himself was and is an atypical Aussie believed to be too intense and too much of a scrapper on court.

The question then is:

Who’ll bell the cat?

Andy Roddick: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Andy Roddick Is Cognizant About Negotiations

What he said:

“Listen, you don’t go into negotiation and have someone represent both sides.”

Andy Roddick is not convinced that the ATP system is in the players’ best interests.

The men’s body is currently seeking a fresh CEO.

Roddick said:

Hopefully someone can get in there and win the battle of rhetoric one of these times and get someone to approve some changes. But under the present system, he really can’t. Some of the good ol’ boys club have it figured out pretty good. It’s not an easy position. It’s not as if we haven’t had smart people. We have had different types; very abrasive kind of showy personalities in there; we’ve had more of a demure, quiet, smart person in there. We’ve covered our personality bases. I think at a certain point you have to look at the system as being flawed as opposed to continually looking for the scapegoat.

The ATP board consists of seven members including the CEO; three are tournament representatives and the other three present the players’ views.

The 10-member ATP Player Council elect the player representatives.

Roddick feels that it’s “an impossible situation” for the ATP head.

Listen, you don’t go into negotiation and have someone represent both sides. It just doesn’t happen in any business transaction or negotiation. I don’t think it’s the CEO’s fault. It’s an impossible situation. I think the system is suspect.

What he really meant:

“Negotiations are not about eating your cake and keeping it too.”

What he definitely didn’t:

Michael Luevano: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Michael Luevano Is Papal To Players’ Demands

What he said:

"Lock them in a room and throw away the key until they come out."

Shanghai Masters tournament director Michael Luevano insists that the only way to resolve tennis player concerns is to get all the governing bodies—ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slam tourney organisers—involved.

He called for a summit, “They need a summit with the Grand Slam present, the ITF present, the WTA present and of course the ATP."

Luevano added:

"It’s like voting for the Pope. Stay there [in the meeting] and we’ll wait for the white smoke."

Talking to BBC Sport, Luevano said that it is frustrating to lose top players to withdrawals and injuries.

Referring to Roger Federer’s withdrawal from his event, the Shanghai Masters boss said:

Especially with someone like Roger, we want him in the game for five more years.

If he’s not comfortable with how his body is feeling, and we just happen to be the tournament he can’t make, then so be it.

Luevano called for a balancing of  players’ demands and tournament needs:

It is very complex [the calendar debate]. There are a lot of moving parts, a lot of historic events, established market places.

By wanting to shorten the season, someone is going to suffer dramatically.

I think a lot of progress has been made by the ATP and from the tournament side what we’re looking for is player commitment which is how we build the event.

What Luevano really meant:

“Decisions and solutions don’t get made without coming to the dialogue table. Oh, by the way, can you ensure that my Shanghai sojourn continues in the mix?”

What Luevano definitely didn’t:

“There are plenty of empty rooms and seats right here in Shanghai. Let’s do it—now!”

Andy Roddick: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

A Union Occupies Andy Roddick’s Thoughts

What he said:

"I don’t think we’re storming offices, but I think the sentiment is still there."

Andy Roddick contemplates the formation of a players’ union. The seemingly heretical idea has gained ground in recent weeks because of the atrocious rescheduling of matches at the US Open this year due to rain. Andy Murray earlier called for a strike if the number of mandatory tournaments during a calendar year are not curtailed.Players on the circuit play almost throughout the year specifically if they are also committed to Davis Cup.

Roddick said:

We need to be smart about it and take our time and make sure that it’s well thought out and not be kind of reactionary. But, you know, there is a discussion going on.

You have to have a voice in order to get it accomplished.Whatever our individual interests are and what we want changed, nothing is going to happen unless we’re on the same page.

Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Shanghai Masters to recover from a back injury sustained during the US Open final. Roger Federer has opted for six weeks of  rest and recuperation skipping the Asian swing.

On their withdrawals, Roddick remarked:

They don’t get their money this week. Obviously, if they were feeling well and they weren’t worn down, then they would (be here). We’re not getting away with anything by pulling out of tournaments. I feel like that’s the way it’s presented sometimes. That’s just not the case.

What Andy Roddick really meant:

“What we really need is an ‘Occupy ATP and WTA’ campaign.”

What Andy Roddick didn’t:

“Fewer tournaments, more money. Can things get better than that?”

2010 US Open:Captioning The Captured!

Highlights from the 2010 US Open. Some from the sidelines, some from the action. Capturing the moods , captioning the moods!

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Federer Vs Nadal: Beauty Against The Beast

Nadal and Federer, Federer and Nadal, can we mention one without naming the other?

Once upon a time, there was Roger Federer and the many dwarves. Then arrived Rafael Nadal like a light bulb whose incandescence just shone brighter and brighter. But not so much to eclipse a dwindling Federer but enough to illumine and bathe the ATP  tennis courts – each taking turns at being  sunbeam and  moonbeam.

We have all heard talk about how graceful Federer is on the tennis court, how he is balletic , fluid of motion and a purist’s delight.

We have also lauded Rafa for his continually improving game, noted how his serve has become much more faster and accurate, and exclaimed how he keeps adding facets to his game.

But if you and I were to single out one defining characteristic of these two outstanding protagonists of the modern game, what would it be?

Quote of the day:
In great affairs men show themselves as they wish to be seen; in small things they show themselves as they are. – Nicholas Chamfort

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