It wasn’t a surprise, because who doesn’t remember his chronicles alongside the unforgettable Giampiero Galeazzi? Whether it was Roland Garros or Wimbledon, when Rai held the rights to the Slams, Adriano Panatta was the second voice of the legendary Bisteccone, Rai’s alternative to the historic couple Tommasi-Clerici of pay-TV, but even though many years have passed Panatta still bewitched everyone yesterday with his commentary – paired with Fiocchetti – of the semifinal in Davis between Italy and Canada.
Davis, Panatta alternates technical comments with jokes and anecdotes
His is a winning formula, as a great connoisseur of tennis (he was also number 4 in the world, he won Roland Garros and Davis of ’76) knows how to teach racket strokes and tricks but alternates technical commentary with whispered jokes, anecdotes and secrets, ending up involving the spectator even in the face of very long marathons such as yesterday’s Italy-Canada challenge which began at 13 on Rai2 and then end in the evening on Raisport.
Davis, Panatta: the cult phrases of the Italy-Canada commentary
Just to mention some of his cult expressions of yesterday: “No lollo lollo cacchio cacchio, but tomo tomo cacchio cacchio!” or: “Look Sonego. Looks like karate kid! and also: “” I would have gladly played double with Berrettini: tall, handsome. Not like…. Bertolucci”. and again: “Make the fast ball travel, hit the ball forward and not with the body backwards, the short ball must be done forward” and finally: “That volley there you score even if you play with your head”.
Davis, for the people of the web Panatta better than Adani
It came immediate and spontaneous on social media the comparison with Adaniwho commented on the World Cup on Rai1: “We want Adriano Panatta instead of Lele Adani” and again: “Going from Italy-Canada with Panatta to Argentina-Mexico with Adani is like going to a techno rave right after the spa” and then: “But can’t we swap? Panatta comments on football and Adani on tennis (or alternatively padel)”, or: “In sport there are the Adanis and fortunately, the Panattas”.
There is someone who found his reporting soporific but the majority give him an ovation: “Adriano always on top! But he misses him and I miss him Galeazzi! Together they were Totò and PeppinoLaurel and Hardy, the De Reges, Gianni and Pinotto! They were competence and comedic timing at the highest level”, or: “Competent, not pedantic. Indeed, competence is the stuff of the next millennium. Today it is fashionable to pretend to know and blame the competent. Great Panatta”.
There are those who remember. “Adriano Panatta second voice is not a discovery. The duets with “Bisteccone” were hilarious. If she was paired with Paolo Bertolucci they would be amazing” and again: “Panatta is too funny, I like his comic vein too much. What made me laugh the most about today’s long commentary: when he called Shapovalov insipid, and when he said that “mine” perhaps could no longer be said in this new sport (which for him would be the modern double) “.
Finally the lapidary comment: “Panatta for me you can say what you want, how you want, when you want”.
