Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Photo credit: Bradley Kanaris/Getty
Nick Kyrgios introduced the Big Bang in tennis.
One of the most devastating servers of the Open Era, Kyrgios ushered in the New Year with a strong statement.
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The greatest server of all time not named Isner, Karlovic, Roddick, Ivanisevic or Kyrgios himself, said the explosive Aussie.
2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios said the greatest performance “by far” he had seen was from the 6'8″ French tower of power. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The 21-year-old Frenchman fired a laser beam first and second using 36 slamming aces to win a 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 Brisbane duel vs. Kyrgios.
Faced with a two-and-a-half-hour blast from coach Perricard, Kyrgios said the French firefighter was getting by.
“Props to him. He's a hell of a player,” Kyrgios said of the powerful Frenchman. “I played, you know, Karlovic, Isner, Raonic, all the big servers, and he has the biggest career. Yeah, that was fun. And it was fun for me.”
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The relentless speed and angle of Perricard's arrows leave Kyrgios at times looking like a man stuck at the wrong end of the shooting gallery.
“Obviously I went into the match understanding how he played,” Kyrgios said. “I already knew he likes to hit the first two serves, but props to him, he's found what works for his style of play and committed to that. He's going to do damage, for sure.
“He's going to have a long career. He's got an easy act in his career. There was no real dip in speed or anything like that.”
High praise from Kyrgios, who hit 16 aces in his singles comeback match and reported pain in his surgically repaired wrist afterwards.
Coach Patrick Mouratoglouwho trained two servers for very large women Serena Williams again Naomi Osakahas posted his picks for the top 5 servers of all time over the past few years.
Coach Patrick listed Kyrgios himself as the greatest server of all time in his list of top 5 servers:
1. Nick Kyrgios
2. John Isner
3. Andy Roddick
4. Ivo Karlovic
5. Pete Sampras
The old one country no. 4 James Blake he told Tennis Now sees Isner as the Greatest Server of All Time.
“Roger [Federer] it was a pointing server and Roger was stuck. There's something to be said for the clutch, of course. I think it's hard to beat 6'10″ with a good swing, the angle he can create, he can hit it anywhere,” Blake told Tennis Now. “John Isner doesn't get enough credit for being a smart server. They think it's because he's tall, but he's a very smart server too.
“Kyrgios is also a smart server. Maybe I can rearrange that list. I would agree with Isner, Roddick, Karlovic, Kyrgios, Sampras, yes. The next type of servers that are mentioned would be guys like Goran, Krajicek, Becker, Wayne Arthurs was very amazing.”
The 6'10″ Isner is the ATP's All-Time Ace King with 14,470 aces in 772 matches followed by Karlovic, who hit 13,728 aces in 694 matches and Roger Federer, who dished out 11,478 aces in 1,462 games.
Coach Perricard dished out 532 aces in 28 tour-level matches in 2024.
Alexander Zverev he was the 2024 ATP leader. Zverev served 797 aces in 90 matches.
