Did Nick Kyrgios just say that Roger Federer stole his iconic shots? – Kyrgios says Federer picked up the trick when they trained together in Zurich in 2014.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia shakes hands at the net after his three set victory against Roger Federer of Switzerland in their second round match during day five of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at the Caja Magica on May 6, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (Getty Images – Clive Brunskill)
Australia registered a comfortable win over the Czech Republic during the round one of world group of Davis Cup. On Friday, February 3, Nick Kyrgios of Team Australia beat Jan Satral of Czech Republic 6-2 6-3 6-2 to set up a clash against the United States for the next round.
Kyrgios was seen making use of SABR shot over and over during the match. SABR or 'Sneak Attack by Roger' has become a signature move of Federer who recently won Australian Open taking his Grand Slam tally to 18.
According to a report by Herald Sun, after the match, Kyrgios jokingly claimed that the Swiss maestro stole that shot from him when he was invited to train with Federer in 2014.
"I was doing that (rushing serves) in juniors, it’s more like a stolen attack by Roger," said Kyrgios.
SABR manoeuvre is usually deployed against a weak second serve. The receiver charges from the baseline, almost to the service box, to intimidate the opponents and force them to make errors.
Federer first used the tactic when he was coached by Stefan Edberg. The move is so smooth and brings out the best of Federer's forehand.
