Laver Cup: Babsi Schett speaks all languages
Whether English, German, Schwyzerdütsch - Babsi Schett can adapt perfectly to her interview partners. Also at the Laver Cup in London, which the Tyrolean has accompanied since the first edition in 2017.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Sep 24, 2022, 02:14 pm
Babsi Schett is now quite consistently withheld from German-speaking TV viewers, the Tyrolean tennis goddess can only be seen almost exclusively at Eurosport International. It's a little different at the Laver Cup in London: Schett did a big interview with Roger Federer, albeit in English. But that's what the Eurosport viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland got to see, including translation.
The more exciting part happened after the end of the conversation. Thanks to social media, the tennis public was also able to take part in the nice farewell between Schett and Federer. Of course: the grandmaster could have chatted in the best German with the former number seven in the world. But if you can expect someone to speak a fair amount of Schwyzerdütsch, then of course Barbara Schett.
Roger Federer, Schett said a few days ago in New York, had been the perfect interview partner over the years. Because he had a lot to tell, including private things. Because he did it incredibly eloquently in the interviews, most of which were conducted in English. And, very important for Babsi Schett, because Roger Federer is a conversationalist who doesn't avoid eye contact. A matter of course, one might think. But it is not. The manners of the coming generation probably leave a little to be desired in this regard.
Not with all representatives of the #NextGen, of course. Casper Ruud, for example, hits the dream son-in-law type very well. Babsi Schett recorded a video cast with Ruud in London (not in his mother tongue - we haven't got that far yet), the greetings to the European group went down well.
As a partner in London, Schett is not supporting Mats Wilander this time, but rather double legend Todd Woodbridge. As with previous editions of the Laver Cup, the 46-year-old is also on the job for Tennis Australia. The association from Down Under is co-organizer of the continental comparison - and in addition to Schett and Woodbridge also has Jim Courier, Tim Henman, Mark Petchey and Sam Smith in the London portfolio. But they would have failed because of Roger Federer's Schwyzerdütsch, in contrast to Babsi Schett.