Do you find the underhand serve disrespectful?

Is the underhand serve disrespectful in your opinion?


  • Total voters
    139

vanioMan

Legend
I see that some people consider it disrespectful and I'm not sure why. It's as a legit shot as any in tennis and if used properly can really surprise the opponent and keep him guessing.

Kyrgios' underhand serves in this match (two I believe) for example were absolutely brilliant. I'm a Rafa fan, but it was really clever of Nick to do them.
 

Backspin1183

Talk Tennis Guru
No it's not. It should be used more actually.

I wish too. If they did use underarm serves all the time, even someone like me can hope to hit return winners against servers like Kyrgios, instead of never getting a racket on his big serves.
 

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
No, they're definitely a great tactic, and I find it baffling that people could feel otherwise. That said, the second one he did today was not excellent, and Rafa had to be kicking himself that he screwed up being gifted such an easy forehand. The first one really was good though, the fact that until right at the last second his motion is exactly the same and you can't see it coming makes it all the better.
 
Not once was Nadal given a time violation for his gamesmanship today.

I find his deliberate antics much more disrespectful
You're a dude of the 1st order imo(y) - don't be a fanboy whiner....leave that shlt for the TMF's of the TW-TT world. :whistle:

Rafa's a scrappy dude.....his 'antics'? what, him plucking at his drawers?....him taking 1.23 extra seconds before serving?.......you got a train to catch??? C'mon.. . ; )
 

Benjamin Rio

Professional
I see that some people consider it disrespectful and I'm not sure why. It's as a legit shot as any in tennis and if used properly can really surprise the opponent and keep him guessing.

Kyrgios' underhand serves in this match (two I believe) for example were absolutely brilliant. I'm a Rafa fan, but it was really clever of Nick to do them.


It is so cool escpacially against Nadal.
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
Instead of asking an assortment of keyboard warriors like us, why not ask the GOAT? If the greatest player to ever pick up a racket says it's not disrespectful, maybe his opinion should carry validity:

"Underarm serve is definitely a tactic, I believe. Especially when guys are hugging the fence in the back. From that standpoint, you shouldn't be ashamed if you try it out. just look silly if you miss it sometimes. Why not try it?”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/federer-underhand-serve-kyrgios-dubai-2019-reaction
 
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Deleted member 733170

Guest
Put it this way, I doubt he has many friends in the locker room.
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
By that logic, dropshots, wrongfooting your opponent and hitting to the open court are disrespectful
The only people complaining about the perfectly legal and legit underarm serve are the butt hurt Nadal fans. And they shouldn't be butt hurt today because Rafa won. If Nadal doesn't like the tactic, then stand in closer. Problem solved.
 
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Deleted member 733170

Guest
Instead of asking an assortment of keyboard warriors like us, why not ask the GOAT? If the greatest player to ever pick up a racket says it's not disrespectful, maybe his opinion should carry validity:

"Underarm serve is definitely a tactic, I believe. Especially when guys are hugging the fence in the back. From that standpoint, you shouldn't be ashamed if you try it out. just look silly if you miss it sometimes. Why not try it?”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/federer-underhand-serve-kyrgios-dubai-2019-reaction

So why isn’t the GOAT, the greatest craftsman in the game, employing the said tactic?
 

icedevil0289

G.O.A.T.
it is disrespectful as is the rare time an umpire gives nadal a time warning, something like that should never be done because it is simply a flaw nadal cant help himself
 
D

Deleted member 733170

Guest
Very true - but not because of legal underhand serves, but rather because he's a jack-@$$.

And part of his jack-@$$ routine is that he’s the only guy on the tour pulling this underarm serve cr@p.
 

OldschoolKIaus

Hall of Fame
Only the Nadal's TTW army hates it and keeps crying about in order to distract audience from the Nadal's crappy antics and weird agendas (two year ranking, wimbledon seeding whining).
 
O

OhYes

Guest
Instead of asking an assortment of keyboard warriors like us, why not ask the GOAT? If the greatest player to ever pick up a racket says it's not disrespectful, maybe his opinion should carry validity:

"Underarm serve is definitely a tactic, I believe. Especially when guys are hugging the fence in the back. From that standpoint, you shouldn't be ashamed if you try it out. just look silly if you miss it sometimes. Why not try it?”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/federer-underhand-serve-kyrgios-dubai-2019-reaction
WHy doesn't he use it then ? :rolleyes:
 
D

Deleted member 733170

Guest
Can you imagine if the whole tour started doing this?

It would be a farce of the first order.
 

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
I don’t care for it. Turns tennis into pickleball. No thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Lozo1016

Hall of Fame
I actually think it's showing your opponent a great deal of respect. When your opponent is good at breaking your serve or they put you in a tough position based on their return position, you gotta get creative to break their rhythm. Michael Chang didn't use an underhand serve against Lendl because Chang lacked respect for him. If anything, he saw Lendl as a formidable opponent.
 

Justin Side

Hall of Fame
So much salt on this forum, today. Thanks Humbalito.

I have no problem with the underarm serve. It looks silly, but it's effective when the returner isn't thinking about it's possibility. That said, it's hard to imagine the greats of the game doing it. Fed, Rafa, and Djokovic have been around forever, but I can't remember them ever doing it. Which probably means they feel it is disrespectful, even if they say they have no problem with it.
 

Keizer

Hall of Fame
Not disrespectful at all. I don't get the disgust that ATP pros seem to have for it (I remember Lajovic being absolutely stone faced after Kyrgios did it to him in Miami). If a tweener isn't disrespectful, why should this be?
 
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