MELBOURNE, Australia — Tim Smyczek, a qualifier from Milwaukee ranked 112th, wielded his racket exceptionally well Wednesday night, striking 64 winners and coming within one game of upsetting third-ranked Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Australian Open.
But what left Nadal most impressed after the match was Smyczek’s sportsmanship.
As Nadal served for the match ahead by 6-5, 30-0, in the fifth set, a fan hollered during the toss of his first serve, disrupting his motion. The serve sailed long.
As the crowd began to boo, Smyczek caught the attention of the chair umpire and held up two fingers, indicating that Nadal should be able to have both of his serving opportunities. Once the umpire announced that it would again be a first serve, Nadal gave Smyczek a thumbs-up sign and a small wave, and several members of Nadal’s team stood to applaud the gesture.
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Heiser also heaped praise on Nadal’s effort Wednesday night as he battled through apparent illness.
“Rafa is one of the best in the world at that stuff,” Heiser said. “To have a guy that’s won 14 Grand Slams, has $200 million in his bank account, and he’s feeling like garbage and he’s pale in his face and barely getting up to hit serves — and yet there’s no drama in him whatsoever. He’s just business and he’s going to figure out a way to gut it out. It’s unbelievable to see that guy like that. It’s so cool.”
Smyczek conceded that many players might not have done what he did, but that he had his own considerations in mind.
“I know my parents would have killed me if I didn’t,” he said with a sheepish grin. “It was the right thing to do.”
