* Little-known Australian smashes Karlovic record
* Federer says serve speed “an incredible number”
(Adds Federer quotes)
LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) – Little known Australian player
Sam Groth has fired down the fastest recorded serve in
professional tennis, a 263kph rocket that Roger Federer
described as “an incredible number”.
The ATP Tour said on Saturday that Groth, ranked 340 in the
world, produced the serve in a second-round match against
Belarusian Uladzimir Ignatik in a Challenger event in South
Korea.
His effort beat the previous fastest-recorded serve of
251kph sent down by Croatian Ivo Karlovic in a Davis Cup tie
against Germany in Zagreb in March, 2011.
Federer, speaking at a news conference after clinching a
place in the Madrid Open final on Saturday, said he expected the
record to be broken again.
“It’s not endless but it’s definitely only going to go up as
the years go by,” the world number three said.
“I have actually played with Sam in the past so I know he
has a very big serve,” the Swiss added.
“I didn’t know he was 263 kilometres an hour strong but it’s
definitely big stuff.
“I’m serving maximum at an average of 210 so it’s a big deal
and it helps to be big and strong and accurate I guess.
“I am sure that eventually there’ll be a guy who will break
that record too.”
While the ATP does not officially recognise serving speed
records because of the variance in radar guns it confirmed “the
event was using approved equipment, and that other data gathered
appeared within a normal range.”
Melbourne-based Groth, 24, lost the match 6-4 6-3.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Alison Wildey)
