27 March 2023 , 17:49
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Italian figure skater Matteo Rizzo stole the show as he impersonated a tennis player during a whacky routine at the World Championships in Japan.
Rizzo treated the audience to a unique show at the gala in Saitama in an entertaining routine that no doubt deserved top marks for creativity.
The 24-year-old took the crowd right back to Wimbledon in the 1980's as he completed his performance in full tennis whites and a funky blonde wig while accompanied by hilarious tiny racquet.
In a bizarre start that set the tone for his routine, Rizzo acknowledged the crowd in his tracksuit before imitating a rally on the ice perfectly in time with a tennis soundtrack.
He ticked off all the tennis cliches in the routine, even signing the camera lens after celebrating winning an imaginary point like the top stars typically do after a match.
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And there was a striking resemblance in Rizzo's outfit choice to some iconic veterans of the court such as Bjorn Bjorg and Andre Agassi.
He pretended to hit some big groundstrokes while gracefully gliding across the ice before taking a seat in a well-choreographed drinks break.
And Rizzo's unmissable four-minute long routine was in full swing when he soon started dancing to the popular song 'Hello' by Martin Solveig and Dragonette.
He looked to be having the time of his life as he took off his tracksuit and showed off his full whites, leaving his racquet behind and lapping up the crowd's adulation with his free-flowing skating.
Rizzo finished his routine by smashing balls into the crowd (@Eurosport_IT/Twitter)But the racquet soon made its return as Rizzo made his way back to his chair, picking up a bag full of tennis balls and smashing them into the stands to end an amusing spectacle.
The eccentric Rizzo was unsurprisingly hailed by Eurosport commentator Chris Howarth after the routine. "He is great, isn't he?" Howarth exclaimed. "What a personality. He always comes up with something a little bit different."