Bad For The Sport

At its best, sport inspires. For a country like Australia, agonizing over perhaps the worst natural disaster in its history with massive flooding, inspiration is in short supply these days.

So the arrival of the Australian Open came at, perhaps, a helpful time. Take the minds of folks off the problems. Before the tournament even started, Roger Federer organized a charity benefit that raised $2 million for flood victims.

All good. And good for tennis.

Then, however, came Tuesday's match between Fernando Verdasco of Spain and Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic. They've had delicious matches before, and this one looked like it was going to be a good one, too. For almost four sets.

Tipsarevic, one of the most colorful players on tour, was up two sets to one, but then blew two chances to serve out the match in the fourth set, including two match points. 

So, basically, he gave up. Threw the match. Waved the white flag.

He barely tried in the fourth set tiebreak, smashing the ball all over the court, then in the fifth set, was in pure pout and won only five points while losing the fifth set 6-0 and the match. On the final points, with Verdasco serving, Tipsarevic didn't even try, just pointing at the ball as Verdasco's "aces" flew by.

Tired? Sure he was. But it wasn't particularly hot, and Tipsarevic didn't look particularly tired. He had just had enough. So he threw in the towel. No mas.

"I don't want people to get the wrong impression," Tipsarevic told reporters afterwards. "I didn't tank. I didn't lose on purpose. I didn't have a mental meltdown. I was just dead in the legs."

Sorry pal, ain't buying it. Verdasco, meanwhile, chose the diplomatic route when asked if he thought Tipsarevic was trying in the final set. 

"This is a question that he must answer, not me," said Verdasco.

It was a disgrace, and if the ATP had any guts, it would suspend Tipsarevic. This is an industry, don't forget, that not too long ago was being questioned in relation to various match fixing allegations.

In 2007, Nikolai Davydenko was fined $2,000 (wow) for showing a "lack of best effort" during a loss to Martin Cilic. Later that year, ATP investigated one of his matches when he pulled out against a much-lower ranked Argentine opponent in the third set, and betting records showed an unusually high amount of money had been wagered on Davydenko's opponent.

So this is a sport that should be super-sensitive to any suggestion its athletes aren't giving their best. Tipsarevic certainly was not.

 

 

Comments

[Brian]

Interesting take and I can appreciate your concern for how the sport is viewed in a larger sense. As someone who teaches mental toughness to tennis players, I really don't mind seeing this as it's a great example to students of what you can do to an opponent if you persist (as Verdasco did) and how your opponent can break physically/mentally at any time. Break downs like this are a reality in tennis at all levels and they can be instructive on both sides of the equation.

[prize maple]

Damien,
It does happen. Tennis is an individual sport, plus they don't allow coaching during the match so if a player has a mental meltdown it ain't pretty. Even the all-time greats have admitted to tanking at various points in their careers. I wouldn't be too hard on the lad, I'm sure he's learned his lesson.

[Mike]

Give me a break! So what you're saying is that anyone who "throws in the towel" or basically cannot physically play anymore should be fined? I had a work assignment last week but couldn't make it in because I was sick. The work was pushed back another week because of that. I guess my employer should have fined me as well. I watched the whole match and saw Tipsarevic play incedibly. Near the end, he simply had a ton of bad luck and looked to be very distraught. This isn't Roman time gladiator fighting where fans get to rule on live or die judgement because of how they 'feel'. It was a great match and gave you something to write about today.

[Dirk Jeffry]

Cox you are an idiot. You don't even know anything about tennis and likely never even played tennis. Your comments are ignorant.

I doubt any player (especially a mid-ranked) player that was playing against a top 10 would tank on purpose and without a reason. 5 sets in Australia are the toughest 5 sets anyone can play, and this guy likely just broke down mentally. That is his loss and the other players gain, and it should never be considered for a suspension. Go back to writing about hockey where suspensions seem to fill the news...

[moe green]

I have never understood the interest of fans in individual sports. This is not to say that I don't appreciate playing a good game of tennis or golf, it's just that I don't understand rooting for a particular player unless you have some connection with that player. Rooting for Tiger Woods, for example, would be because he's brownish? American? You like his personality? He's really good? Who cares?

In team sports, for the most part, we root for teams that represent our city or region. I guess that applies somewhat to tennis or golf but it's not the same thing. The Leafs, for example, play for the fans of the city of Toronto or for fans that have, for whatever reason, made the Leafs their "home team." Sure they play for money, but at least overtly, they play for the fans. Not so for tennis.

So when an individual "tanks" as you call it, what business is it of ours? Unless you have wagered on the event, why would you care? Do people go to watch tennis matches because they so love the game of tennis that they want to see it performed at it's highest level? It's really an alien concept to me. I guess it happens, but it does nothing for me. It would be like going to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets play the St. Louis Blues to watch the poetry of a great hockey game. Just weird!

I guess I'm a different person - we all are - and I am sure there are people who do watch for the above mentioned reasons. But as a fan of most team sports and hockey especially, I am never there to watch individuals perform. I could care less about the careers of Crosby or Ovechkin. Unless of course I was a fan of those teams and even then only in so far as it pertained to the success of said teams.

For me it's getting harder and harder to watch even team sports because of the mercenary involvement of so many of the players. I can think of little less interesting than the drug-enhanced home run derby between Sosa and MacGuire a few years ago. The press sure loved it though. For me that was individuals padding their stats and nothing more.

So with regard to the match you're writing about, I say who cares. If he wants to tank, let him. What business is it of ours. He's their for the money, not for the fans. the fact that they are even there, for some of these players is an utter annoyance I'll bet. Of course the fans pay for their massive paydays.

For me, that's the fans' problem, not the players'. If you want a real game - go watch some amateurs play. For them it's all pride and heart! No tanking there I'll bet.

[80s Leafs]

Be curious to hear what Johnny Mac has/had to say about Tipsarevic tanking.

[D.W.]

stick to hockey its what u know best.

[Chad]

wow.......then I guess a lot of Leaf players deserve to be suspended for not showing up on some nights either?

[Braco]

@Mike. You are an idiot.Damien is good tennis player.Maybe you are terrible tennis player and that is bothering you.Beeing good or bad tennis player has nothing to do with Tipsarevic quiting!!

[ace]

Guys,

Damien Cox is not one of my favourite writers but he might be on to something. Sometimes players in tennis "tank" due to outside sources, ie. mob. That's a simple fact. Match fixing only works best with individual-based sports such as tennis. I'm not surprised by Cox's mistrust/scepticism in the least.

Damien, please go to TSN so I won't have to see any of your headlines, stories, and/or mug surface on my paper and monitor.

[Krakondack]

Under that logic, we should fine the Maple Leafs very heavily for the "effort" they put in a lot of nights. Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea. But for Tennis, remember Tipsarevic loses the chance to accumulate a lot of points (about double what he would in a Masters-1000 tournament) that are important to him all year, plus the prize money and whatever multiplier he has with his sponsors. It would take quite a payoff to make it worthwhile for him to throw the match, to where I think it unlikely. Certainly I've had days of tennis where I just hit the wall and wilt, and the score reversal reflects it. I'm no pro, not even close, but they are human too. PS - did you see the deBakker versus Monfils match - same story, but you could see Thiemo choking.

[Jack Gallop]

In one of yesterday's NFL games a player was penalized for hitting another player because the player he hit was "in a vulnerable position". In the NHL the player in "a vulnerable position" is deemed to have put himself there and the one who hits him with a "clean" hit is not penalized. Why not institute such a rule in the NHL? Sure, it's a judgement call but if players can't or won't show any concern for each other this is perhaps one way the league could and should.