Federer: No more pep talks for Nick

ROGER FEDERER has warned he will not stand for a repeat of an umpire pep talk for Nick Kyrgios when the pair clash in the third round at the US Open today.

Federer weighed into the row that has engulfed the tournament after the chair umpire’s bizarre attempt to encourage Kyrgios.

Mohamed Lahyani spoke to Kyrgios when he was a set down and trailing 3-0 in the second to Pierre-Hugues Herbert, before the Australian turned things around to set up an encounter with Federer.

US Open chiefs said in a statement Lahyani went “beyond protocol” but was offering only medical advice as Kyrgios looked out of sorts. Yet the umpire, who will continue officiating at the tournament, could be heard saying, “I want to help you, I know this is not you. You’re great for tennis.”

Kyrgios went on to win 19 of the next 25 games to claim victory and Federer said: “It’s not the umpire’s role to go down from the chair. I get what he was trying to do. Nick behaves the way he behaves.

“You as an umpire take a decision on the chair, do you like it or don’t you like it? But you don’t go and speak like that. I don’t care what he said. It was not just about, ‘How are FAULT: Federer was unimpressed you feeling?’ Go back up to the chair. He was there for too long.”

Novak Djokovic, who defeated Tennys Sandgren to set up a third-round meeting with Richard Gasquet, said: “Everybody who knows Mohamed knows he’s quite different from others. He’s always very positive, smiles, tries to bring that energy to the court. He likes to make a show out of it.

“Knowing Mohamed, I really don’t think that he meant to do it for any other reason but to really try to help Nick to understand that if he continues doing that he might get fined, a penalty or a warning.”

Herbert demanded action be taken against Lahyani and later accused officials of treating players like fools after they defended him.

In a statement the Frenchman said: “I am still waiting for explanations. Nick from his side is not to blame as he did not ask for anything. But his behaviour and motivation on court from this moment changed and then he dominated the match.”