Melbourne: Tennis greats Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have acclaimed American Tim Smyczek's act of rare sportsmanship at a crucial time of his losing five-set thriller at the Australian Open.

With the score 30-0 deep in the fifth set a spectator yelled out loudly during Nadal's ball toss, which distracted the Spaniard and forced him to serve a fault. But in an admirable show of sportsmanship Smyczek called for Nadal to replay his first serve rather than it be declared a fault.