Nishikori’s Corona, Federer’s Ranking, and Gangnam Style (Again)
While Kei Nishikori was busy trying to figure out what he’s going to do with a year’s worth of beer, we were compiling the latest and greatest updates from around the tennis world.
Hey tennis fans, I’m Blair Henley and welcome to the Tennis Now News Update.
Yes, Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man to win the Japan Open last week, and in addition to his $308,000 paycheck, he also received a year’s supply of beer thanks to tournament sponsor, Corona. He did the company proud when he said this after the match:
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with a year’s worth of Corona beer…I don’t even like beer.”
By reaching the quarterfinals in Shanghai, Roger Federer solidified his hold on the No. 1 ranking for a mind-boggling 300th week. Based on the current point totals, it looks like the race between Federer and Novak Djokovic for the year-end No. 1 ranking will likely come down to the ATP World Tour Finals starting on November 5th. Mark your calendars!
You may have expected Andy Murray’s brother Jamie to have joined in celebration after Andy won the U.S. Open back in September. Instead, it turns out that the elder Murray decided to go to sleep.
Quote “It was great to see, and I was so happy for Andy. He did so well, especially when Djokovic came back from two sets down, but I wasn’t shouting at the television set or jumping up and down when he won.”
Jamie, a doubles specialist, was playing a tournament in Luxembourg. He earned $1,400 that week compared to his brother’s $1.8 million. Bummer.
Nineteen-year-old Bernard Tomic is making headlines again. After being publicly chided by Australian Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter for failing to try his hardest in his second-round U.S. Open loss to Andy Roddick, Tomic is back to his old ways, admitting to giving only 85% effort in his 6-4, 6-0 loss to Florian Mayer in Shanghai. Some of you might remember the fine Marat Safin was forced to pay after being accused of tanking a match at the Australian Open over 10 years ago. Some are wondering why Tomic hasn’t received the same punishment.
And, in an attempt to set the record for most broadcasts with at least one mention of 'Gangnam Style', I bring you Novak Djokovic’s encore performance after winning last week’s tournament in Beijing. Poor Nole clearly wasn’t in the mood to dance with a hoard of over-eager ballkids, but the trophy presenter would not take no for an answer.
Laura Robson and Genie Bouchard also had a little Gangnam Style fun while in China. Their home-made video featured cameos from Maria Sharapova, Sam Stosur, and Fernando Verdasco.
That’s all for today’s Tennis Now News Update! Should Tomic be fined? Are you sick of 'Gangnam Style'? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter, and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can see when we post new content. We’ll see you next time, here on Tennis Now.