dailyloe.com – Portuguese tennis player Nuno Borges won his match at the ATP 500 in Barcelona with a controversial underarm serve on match point. The world number 52 defeated Argentina’s Tomás Etcheverry, ranked 29th, to reach the quarterfinals. Borges’s unexpected winning shot was met with boos from the crowd in Spain. The underarm serve is a legal move within tennis rules but often sparks debate.
The match was closely contested with both players breaking serve early. The final scores were 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in Borges’s favor. He clinched the victory in a tie-break with the surprising serve. This decision angered his opponent and the spectators present.
Borges later explained his choice to journalists after the match. He stated he was experiencing cramps when he opted for the underarm serve. The serve surprised Etcheverry and ended the point and the match. The move involves a stroke performed below the waistline.
It exploits an opponent’s deep court positioning during a return. While unconventional, as players expect an overhand serve, it is permitted. The tactic gained fame when American Michael Chang used it in 1989. The 17-year-old Chang defeated then-world number one Ivan Lendl at the French Open.
He used the underarm serve to win a five-set match. With this win, Nuno Borges achieved a milestone for Portuguese tennis. He became the third Portuguese player to reach an ATP 500 quarterfinal. The ATP 500 tournaments were created in 2009.
Before Borges, João Sousa and Jaime Faria each reached two ATP 500 quarterfinals. Borges will now face Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic, ranked 88th globally. They will compete for a spot in the tournament’s semifinal round. The match continues Borges’s run at the Barcelona event.[]
Source: ge
