Moutet Advances at Australian Open with Underarm Serve

Corentin Moutet advanced to the second round of the Australian Open on Sunday with a straight-sets victory over Australian Tristan Schoolkate, but his unorthodox underarm serve on match point drew boos from the home crowd in Melbourne.

The 26-year-old Frenchman, seeded 32nd and ranked No. 34 in the world, defeated Schoolkate 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 on Kia Arena. Leading in the third set, Moutet opted for the sliced underarm serve on his final point, catching Schoolkate off guard. The Australian's forehand return sailed long, securing the win. As Moutet celebrated by dropping his racket and heading to his team, the audience responded with jeers before he shook hands at the net.

Moutet later explained the decision as instinctive rather than disrespectful. "I did it because I thought I could win the point, which I won actually," he said. "Of course, no disrespect or anything. I could serve on the tee. I could do whatever. I decided to do this, so I thought it was the better option at this moment." The underarm serve, legal under tennis rules, remains rare at the elite level, especially on match point, though it has appeared in high-stakes situations before.