Bernard Tomic has been in the news lately, and not just because of his on-court performances but because of the current trend on the ATP Tour.
The Australian tennis player has taken credit for the latest trend on the ATP Tour - the underarm serve. While this shot has been attempted by a few players in the past, it was not until Nick Kyrgios started using it regularly that it became popular. However, Tomic has claimed that he started the trend.
In recent months, we have seen several players using the underarm serve, including some of the biggest names in the game. Former world number one Daniil Medvedev, current world number two Carlos Alcaraz, and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray have all tried it out. Even Alexander Bublik, who is known for his unorthodox style, has used the underarm serve in several of his matches.
In 2019, during an exhibition match in Kooyong against Kyrgios, Tomic played an underarm tweener serve on match point which led to his victory with a score of 6-3, 6-4. Tomic himself posted a video of this on his Instagram stories along with a caption: "I started this sh*t."
While Kyrgios is widely credited with popularizing the underarm serve, Tomic's claim cannot be entirely dismissed. After all, he did use it successfully against Kyrgios in that exhibition match.
Of course, not everyone is a fan of the underarm serve. Some players and fans consider it disrespectful, and believe that it should only be used in certain situations. However, there is no denying that it can be an effective way to win points, especially against opponents who are not expecting it.
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