Channel Nine’s coverage of the Australian Open has fallen victim to two embarrassing moments just minutes after it started on Sunday morning.
The network began its broadcast from Melbourne Park at 10am on Sunday and within five minutes there were awkward scenes featuring the hosts of its pre-match show.
First, commentator Tony Jones told viewers that his co-host, wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott, had been spotted on the golf course recently.
‘I have been golfing a little bit, yeah,’ Alcott confirmed.
Panel member and former tennis star John Millman then asked, ‘What’s your handicap?’ in a ham-fisted reference to his golf handicap.
‘Ah, paraplegia,’ Alcott replied.
Wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott laughed off a very unfortunate question about his golfing skills just minutes after Channel Nine’s coverage of the Australian Open began
Aussie tennis star turned Nine panel member John Millman (left) probably wishes he could take back his remark to Alcott (right)
Alcott is pictured practising his driving at a golf course recently
‘No, no, I meant… come on, what do you play off?’ Millman asked.
‘Oh, you’re talking about my golf handicap. I’m off 23 at the moment,’ Alcott said as the rest of the panel laughed.
Alcott later posted a clip of the moment on Instagram with the caption ‘Always a confusing question’, prompting Millman to comment, ‘That came out wrong.’
About 10 minutes after that, Millman saved Jones from a potential disaster as he introduced the ‘Father Time’ segment, which examined the Australian Open chances of veterans Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic.
Jones made headlines around the world at last year’s Open when he branded Djokovic ‘overrated’, a ‘has-been’ and chanted ‘Novak, kick him out’ in scenes that saw him issue an apology and get dropped from Nine’s Wimbledon coverage.
It appeared he was at risk of making another controversial statement about Djokovic’s ability when he began the segment with, ‘I want to show you two photos here and tell me about father time – it catches up with everyone eventually.
‘In the case of the man on the left [Djokovic] it would appear not.’
Millman then stepped in to head off any drama and started complimenting the Serbian icon.
A few minutes after the Alcott incident, Millman stepped in to save Jones from making more controversial remarks about Novak Djokovic
Jones made headlines around the world last year when he called Djokovic (pictured) ‘overrated’ and a ‘has-been’
‘I’ll take the reins on this one,’ he said.
‘Novak Djokovic, 99 Australian Open [match] wins.
‘I’ve said it before, if we were to rename this stadium, it would be Novak Djokovic Arena.
‘I think you can’t write off a champion. However, I think father time is catching up on both of them.
‘They’ve both been great champions. I think that you need a change of format [for] them to get up, though, and that would be best of three sets.
‘I think if it’s best of three … if he does it in three straight sets, he is [a chance].
‘I just want Nole fam [Djokovic fans], if they’re watching, I’m not writing off the great champ, I just think he has to tweak his game. He has to play a little bit more aggressive.’
The wash-up from Jones’s comments about Djokovic also saw Serbian Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki call for him to cop a lifetime ban from covering the sport.
