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We all know that in high-level sports, things can get pretty competitive. And at times, this competitive spirit can get the best of some people. We see this in sports like football all the time, yet it’s not all that common for things to get all that spicy in tennis. With that said, the Madrid Open match between Kokkinakis and Munar yesterday put tennis back on the map in terms of feisty contests. Ultimately, Munar took a straight-sets win to advance to the second round of the 2023 Madrid Open.
However, while the match itself was a great contest, the headlines have been stolen by the handshake at the end of the game. Throughout the match, there were a few heated moments, but nothing overly dramatic – just standard stuff for such a close game. But when the two guys came to the net to shake hands, things heated up very quickly indeed. Then again, Kokkinakis’ fellow Aussie, Nick Kyrgios, has been absent from the tour for a few months now.
So somebody had to come and fill the shoes of the new bad boy of tennis, right? Of course, I’m not saying that Kokkinakis is now the bad boy after the handshake yesterday, but it was definitely entertaining to witness. This is true even if the ‘debate’ only lasted for a couple of minutes in total. Anyway, if you missed this spicy moment, let me give you the scoop.
‘Don’t Tell Me to Shut Up Again’ – ‘Or What’? Munar and Kokkinakis Get Lively
As you can see from the heading here, this was the primary exchange between Kokkinakis and Munar. After all, the match did finish with a score of 7-6 7-6, so the loser of the game wasn’t going to be best pleased anyway. Yet to be honest, Kokkinakis isn’t naturally a feisty or confrontational player, even if he has been involved in a couple of spats in the past.
With that said, he certainly channelled his inner Kyrgios when things came to an end against Munar. Here’s what you missed:
The Face-to-Face Confrontation From This Madrid Open Match
When Munar finished off the second set tie-break with a forehand winner, he celebrated in front of his home crowd – as anyone would do. Yet when the camera zoomed in, it was clear that Munar was giving Kokkinakis ‘the eye’ before the two shook hands at the net. I’m not sure whether Kokkinakis saw this or not, but it was actually Munar who decided to confront the Aussie when the pair shook hands.
The handshake seemed normal, but Munar just couldn’t hold back concerning a few things that happened in the game. Yet specifically, Munar said to Kokkinakis – ‘don’t tell me to shut up again’. This was in reference to the first set tie-break where Kokkinakis complained to the umpire about Munar constantly chatting with his box. And when Munar stepped in, Kokkinakis said, ‘Bro, you don’t shut up’.
Obviously, this stuck with Munar until the end. Yet I must say, it was priceless when the Aussie replied with, ‘or what’, as the two made their way to the chair to shake hands with the umpire. As it happens, the veteran umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, needed to step in to stop a potential boilover in the Spanish capital.
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