Nadal hails his beaten opponent after an amazing act of sportsmanship.
SEE ALSO:
Fowler Nishikori: Watch as ESPN commentator Chris Fowler comes up with some..err..interesting facts about the Japanese star
Top 10 batsman in Test cricket: Will India star Virat Kohli make the list?
Cricket World Cup 2015: We look at the six biggest stars who will miss the tournament
American Tim Smyczekmay have exited the Australian Open following his loss to Rafael Nadal, but he won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Smyczek produced a moment of sportsmanship that certainly wasn’t lost on the crowd or his opponent, who both gave the world number 112 a standing ovation following the five set duel.
The 27-year-old was locked in a battle with Nadal deep in the fifth set before a crowd member yelled out during the Spaniard’s ball toss, putting him off.
It resulted in a fault, but Smyczek called for Nadal to replay his first serve rather than it be called a fault.
Nadal used his post-match interview to congratulate the American for his incredible act of sportsmanship.
“Firstly I want to congratulate Tim, he is a real gentlemen,” the 28-year-old was quoted by Yahoo Sports.
“What he did in the last game was … not a lot of people would do something like this at 6-5 in the fifth after four hours.”
Nadal will now face Dudi Sela on Friday for a place in the fourth round.
COMMENTS