Author: Chandra Moulee Das
Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina made a bold statement about the idea that side conversations can disrupt the game, saying that unlike other sports, it wouldn’t work in a “smart” sport like tennis.
To give some context, Frances Tiafoe of the USA recently asked the tennis fraternity to relax its rules regarding fan behavior at matches in an effort to help attract young audiences. American colleagues Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff also supported her and added that they wouldn’t mind a few “useless conversations” either.
Kasatkina gave her opinion on the recently much debated topic of ‘small talk’ in tennis while speaking to Tennis Channel after her quarter-final match. She pointed out that tennis is a bit different from other sports and the concept won’t work.
“Tennis is a bit different for me. I don’t think it will work in my opinion. I think tennis should be a little on the fringes of this” he said.
Daria Kasatkina to face Ons Jabeur in Charleston Open semi-finals
Daria Kasatkina will face a tough task when she takes on Ons Jabeur in the semi-finals of the Charleston Open on Saturday, April 8. The pair have met on six occasions on the tour, with the Tunisian winning four of them. Although the Russian is known for her proficiency on clay, she has yet to prove her worth against Jabeur after two matches on this type of court.
The 25-year-old seems to have regained her lost form with a successful run to the semi-finals of the Charleston Open after a series of underwhelming results since the Australian Open. Kasatkina, however, will enter the match having secured an impressive comeback win over Madison Keys (6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2) on Friday (April 7) to book her place in the semi-finals.