Corentin Moutet was booed after hitting an underarm serve against an Aussie (Image: @AustralianOpen)
Corentin Moutet has spoken out after receiving a hostile reception when he underarm served Aussie hope Tristan Schoolkate while holding a match point at the Australian Open. The Frenchman is no stranger to controversy and likes mixing things up – and he did just that to clinch a 6-4 7-6(1) 6-3 win on day one of the tournament.
The risk paid off, and Schoolkate sent his return long, giving the No. 32 seed the victory. But the fans inside the Kia Arena weren’t happy with Moutet’s antics against one of their own, and there were some boos and jeers as he walked to the net to shake hands with his opponent.
Moutet has now addressed his decision to try an underarm serve on match point, and admitted it came out of nowhere. “[There was] no thinking,” he smiled.
“That’s what I’m trying to do on the court… you know, think less. So I don’t know, I did it because I thought it would be I could win the point, which I won the point actually. Nothing else. Of course, no disrespect or anything. You know, just, like, I could serve on the T. I could whatever. I decided to do this, so I thought it was the better option at this moment.”
Moutet called the physio while leading Schoolkate by two sets and a break and received some off-court treatment for a leg issue. The French ace appeared to be cramping, but said the underarm serve had nothing to do with his physical condition.
“No, I mean, we all have some kind of pain every day, you know, that we have to deal with. So, yeah, I was trying to handle it in the best way possible. I did pretty well. I’m glad that I did well. You know, proud of myself,” he added.
Corentin Moutet is through to the second round of the Australian Open (Image: Getty)
“It wasn’t easy, obviously. As I said, it’s the first match of the year, so it’s always hard. We can practice for a long time. We can do whatever we want, but the match is always different. So, yeah, it was a good test.”
Moutet is one of the sport’s more divisive personalities – and sometimes his pranks backfire. He hit a tweener while serving to stay in a match for France at the Davis Cup Finals in November. He later apologised when it backfired and France went on to lose the tie.
But the 26-year-old isn’t intentionally trying to be an entertainer on the court. “I don’t know. Once again, I’m just myself. You know, I’m trying to perform well, to be the best version of myself, to be a great tennis player,” he smiled.
“You know, if I can entertain the people, that’s even better, but that’s not my first priority. My first priority is to perform and be a great tennis player. I don’t know what people expect from us, but I think there is very good players right now, you know, in this era. I think a lot of great level of tennis that we can watch on the TV. More or less, I don’t know. I don’t care.”