Shanghai: Swiss tennis great Roger Federer highlighted Tuesday the importance of maintaining integrity within the game, a few days after Spain’s Fernando Verdasco caused a controversy when he shouted at a ball boy.
In a video released few days ago, Verdasco was seen losing his temper with a ball boy for being too slow in bringing his towel during his semifinal defeat against Yoshihito Nishioka at the Shenzhen Open last week. Verdasco was however, handed a warning by the chair umpire for his behavior with the social media lighting up calling his actions ‘disgusting’.
“I still think we are doing actually very well in our sport, and we have to maintain that, you know, the integrity and the way we treat each other, because tennis is a classy sport,” Federer said at a press conference here, where he is seeking to win his third Shanghai Masters title.
“The ball kids are really important to us, because they are also maybe the future of our game, like I was,” added the World No.2, reminding of his young days as a ball boy.
Meanwhile, Verdasco’s behaviour has prompted the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) to consider changing the rules to spare ball boys and girls from handing players a towel, instead installing hooks on court.
However, reacting to ATP’s rumoured changing of rules, Federer was quick to point out that these types of incidents are very rare and sometimes happen in the heat of the moment. He described that the work of the ball kids in bringing players their towels helps save time.
“Well, I think the idea of having the ball kids bring it to you is to speed up the points, you know, in between. If now you’ve got a hook or a rail in the back, I don’t know. It’s like are you wasting extra three seconds of time each and every point?” the Swiss explained.
Federer, who is defending his title in Shanghai, will play his second round match Wednesday, against the winner of the match between Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and China’s Ze Zhang.
Roger warns Kyrgios
Shanghai: 20-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer warned temperamental Australian Nick Kyrgios Tuesday that he would never fulfill his potential without the work ethic to go with his talent. The 23-year-old Kyrgios made another contentious exit from the Shanghai Masters Monday after a running argument with the chair umpire who suggested his efforts were ‘borderline’. “I think it’s really up to him where he wants to go and what his potential really holds,” Federer said before adding Kyrgios a great player.
