Daria Gavrilova didn’t look pleased with Thanasi Kokkinakis’s classy gesture

BAD sportsmanship is a no-no, but it has appeared Daria Gavrilova wasn’t happy with Thanasi Kokkinakis’s classy gesture.

Daria Gavrilova and Thanasi Kokkinakis weren’t on the same page.

NORMALLY athletes get roasted for acts of poor sportsmanship but this time it was a classy gesture from Thanasi Kokkinakis that angered teammate Daria Gavrilova.

Representing Australia in its Fast4 mixed doubles rubber against the German pairing of Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber at the Hopman Cup in Perth on Friday night, Kokkinakis entered Gavrilova’s bad books for being far too nice a bloke.

The Aussies took the first set 4-1 before the Germans reversed that scoreline in the second, sending the match to a decider. The overseas team was up 40-0 in the second game of the third set after Australia won the opener when controversy struck.

Kokkinakis smashed a forehand from the baseline right at Kerber, who was up at the net. She couldn’t react quickly enough to get her racquet to the ball and it crashed into her as she cried out in pain.

Kokkinakis put his head in his hands and went down on his haunches, clearly feeling awful about the accident as the World No. 21 tried to rub the hurt away.

That should have made it 40-15 in Zverev’s service game but Kokkinakis felt so bad he conceded the point and Germany levelled things up at 1-1.

“He’s just feeling so bad about what happened there, I don’t even know — can you do that?” one Channel Seven commentator said.

“That’s very awkward for Thanasi too. He’s going to think twice about every single ball he hits now. It’s almost too awkward,” his colleague added.

Gavrilova went up to Kokkinakis immediately afterwards as commentators speculated she was disagreeing with his act of kindness. His justification must not have appeased her because she served a double fault on the next point and talked angrily to herself as she collected another ball from a ballkid.

“It’s completely distracted them. I don’t think Dasha’s happy either,” one commentator said. “No, absolutely not.”

“I don’t think that she’s happy they donated the point,” another caller added.

Last night, @Daria_gav wasn't too happy with @TKokkinakis for giving away THIS point v @AngeliqueKerber... what would YOU have done in this situation?

🤔 pic.twitter.com/ZNcbU4t6NJ

— #7TENNIS 🎾 (@7tennis) January 6, 2018

🤦🏽‍♂️😳 sorrryyy @AngeliqueKerber https://t.co/iWxqrmrL6O

— Thanasi Kokkinakis (@TKokkinakis) January 6, 2018

Even for oft-fraught mixed doubles etiquette, this is pretty weird: Kokkinakis gifted Kerber a point because he felt bad about hitting her with the ball(?) https://t.co/093Tp5lGvV

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 6, 2018

Germany won the match to qualify for Saturday night’s Hopman Cup final against the Swiss pair of Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic.

Kokkinakis and Gavrilova led 3-1 in the final set tiebreak but the German duo recovered to win 1-4 4-1 4-3 (7-3).

Kokkinakis was probably in a generous mood after he produced some of his best tennis to come from a set down to upset world No. 4 Zverev in their singles clash. Earlier, Kerber got the Germans off to a great start when making light work of Gavrilova, winning 6-1 6-2 in just 58 minutes.

Gavrilova, ranked No. 25 in the world, started strongly, earning four break points in the opening game of the match, but failed to convert any of them. Kerber quickly found her touch, hitting 10 winners to the Australian’s one in the opening set to take the lead in just 23 minutes.

Gavrilova also failed to convert the only chance she had to break the German’s serve in the second set.

Kokkinakis’ hitting against Zverev was world class and he sent down 17 aces to win a thriller 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in two hours and 41 minutes.

The World No. 209 was in the match from the outset, but couldn’t earn a break of serve in the opening set.

While he finally found his rhythm on serve, he still needed eight set points to claim the second set and level the rubber.

The 21-year-old Australian needed only one break point in the third set though to take a 3-2 lead and then held on for an impressive victory in a high-standard contest.

The Germans are aiming to win their third Hopman Cup title, but their first since Boris Becker and Anke Huber teamed up in 1995.

Agree to disagree.

— with AAP