The “Vamos” Debate Arises Again

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 9th August 2013

The "Vamos" Debate Arises Again

epa03811920 Argentina's Juan Monaco reacts during his men's singles final match against Marcel Granollers of Spain at the ATP tennis tournament in Kitzbuehel, Austria, 03 August 2013. EPA/ROBERT PARIGGER |

Feliciano Lopez and Juan Monaco once vehemently complained about Indian Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi yelling “Vamos” during an Aussie Open doubles match, thinking they were trying to get under their skin.

The Indians denied that, but the Spaniard and the Argentine were still upset.

Sara Errani, who defeated Alize Cornet 7‑5, 7‑6 (3) in Toronto, had a similar reaction to the Frenchwoman yelling out the Spanish word of celebrations.

“I just say to her why she was saying “Vamos” and not “Allez.” Normally she say “Allez,” so I thought, why you say ‘Vamos’?” Errani said.

Errani was also upset with Cornet telling the umpire that she was cramping in the mid-day heat. She didn’t take to any of the opponent’s loud celebrations or complaints.

“I don’t think is good thing for our sport. I think is better to just compete, try your best and let’s see,” Errani said. “Sometimes she do this, and I just want to try to stay focus and not thinking about her. But sometimes it’s tough because is really near match, a lot of tension. So sometimes you say, ‘Why you are saying that you have cramps and after you don’t have?’ I mean, why are you doing this? I don’t understand what you are doing.’ But everybody is free to do what they want.”

Marion Bartoli, who was once an outsider but has now become friends with all of her French Fed Cup teammates, said that Errani was mis-reading Cornet’s intent. However, she also had praise for the Italian’s character.

“Alize is always, in a lot of her matches, maybe because she likes so much clay she feel like she’s Spanish a little bit,” Bartoli said. “But no, I mean, I saw her play so many matches over the years, and she’s always said ‘Vamos’ in her matches, always, always. So that should show you when she’s so focused in her mind that she say more ‘Vamos’ than ‘Allez.’ There is nothing against Sara, nothing at all. She’s way too sweet and way too nice to kind of doing that in purpose, no way.”

Bartoli herself has her own quirks, jumping up and down between points and taking numerous practice swings. She says that is just her way of doing things and is not meant to distract her foes. She thinks that players should be left to say whatever they like.

“You can always find excuses and say you can be upset by a million things, because maybe the ball boy doesn’t give you the ball fast enough or the towel fast enough,” she said. “You can always find excuses when you lose. This is the easiest thing in the world. I feel if my opponent want to say “Allez” or “Come it” or “Vamos” or whatever it is, I mean, that’s what motivate her. The only thing I can do is trying my hardest to win the point and on my side try my hardest as well on the court. Why I should be upset by that, no, I don’t think so. I have never been upset like this and I don’t think I will, ever.”