Pre-reading questions:
- Have you ever watched a live tennis game? If so, how was your experience? If not, would you like to?
- Do you know any specific individuals who have been disqualified from a sport or competition? If so, please share the details of what happened.
Vocabulary:
- decline /dih-KLAHYN/
- frustration /fruh-STREY-shuhn/
- suspended /suh-SPEN-did/
- ban /ban/
- doubles /DUB-uhlz/
[verb] – to refuse
She politely declined the invitation to the party.
[noun] – the feeling of being annoyed or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want, or something that makes you feel like this
The student’s frustration was evident as they threw their pen down on the desk.
[adjective] – something that has been temporarily stopped or interrupted
The employee was placed on a suspended status pending further investigation into the misconduct allegations.
[noun] – an official order that prevents something from happening
The government imposed a ban on smoking in public places to promote a healthier environment.
[noun] – (esp. in tennis) a game played with two players on each side
Playing doubles requires effective communication and synchronization between partners to cover the court efficiently.
Article reading:
It’s worth mentioning that a similar incident involving German player Alexander Zverev occurred at the Mexican Open the previous year. Zverev received an eight-week suspended ban and a $25,000 fine for repeatedly striking the umpire’s chair with his racket during a doubles match. In addition, he was ejected from the singles tournament, fined an additional $40,000, forfeited the $31,570 in prize money he had earned, and lost all ATP Rankings points from the event.
Comprehension questions
- Why was Mikael Ymer disqualified from the Lyon Open?
- Why did Ymer become angry during his match against Arthur Fils?
- How did the tournament official respond to Ymer’s actions?
- How did Ymer show sportsmanship despite his disqualification?
- What consequences did Alexander Zverev face for his actions at the Mexican Open?
Discussion questions
- Have you ever played tennis? What makes you interested in it?
- What is the impression of your country about tennis? Is it considered a famous sport?
- What are your thoughts on the disqualification of Mikael Ymer?
- In your opinion, can Mikael Ymer be considered a good sport despite his actions, since he still congratulated his opponent?
- In your opinion, what do you think would be the most appropriate sanction for this kind of situation?
Listening: