Celebrity Death Match - A-Rod v Djoker

[Kieran]

Funny one in the news today on Tennis.com, Roddick and Djoker almost came to blows in the locker room at Flushing Meadows in 2008, but Roddick had to back down in the absence of a tough wingman. Pity he wasn't with Brad Gilbert at the time: ol' Brad woulda talked him out of it...

:lolz:

 

[Front242]

Saw that yeah and who else but resident gossip clown on tennis.com, Matt Cronin, could bring such "news" over a year after Roddick's retirement. Seriously, can he not write some proper tennis news and current news? The guy's unreal.

 

[Kieran]

Saw that yeah and who else but resident gossip clown on tennis.com, Matt Cronin, could bring such "news" over a year after Roddick's retirement. Seriously, can he not write some proper tennis news and current news? The guy's unreal.

That's true, Cronin has some bizarre "news" items, some no longer than tweets, and few of them actual news.

Steve Tignor weighed in and recited an old but funny tale involving Ilie Nastase, which ends in a typically classy kiss-off from the crazy Romanian.

I wonder if locker-room dust ups are common. Given how insular tennis players are on court - rarely acknowledging their foe until the end - perhaps the tension spills over but not so often into fisticuffs. Still, I'm sure many have wished it did...

 

[calitennis127]

Saw that yeah and who else but resident gossip clown on tennis.com, Matt Cronin, could bring such "news" over a year after Roddick's retirement. Seriously, can he not write some proper tennis news and current news? The guy's unreal.

That's true, Cronin has some bizarre "news" items, some no longer than tweets, and few of them actual news.

Steve Tignor weighed in and recited an old but funny tale involving Ilie Nastase, which ends in a typically classy kiss-off from the crazy Romanian.

I wonder if locker-room dust ups are common. Given how insular tennis players are on court - rarely acknowledging their foe until the end - perhaps the tension spills over but not so often into fisticuffs. Still, I'm sure many have wished it did...

See Sampras and Agassi at the indian Wells Haiti fundraiser.

 

[Kieran]

Saw that yeah and who else but resident gossip clown on tennis.com, Matt Cronin, could bring such "news" over a year after Roddick's retirement. Seriously, can he not write some proper tennis news and current news? The guy's unreal.

That's true, Cronin has some bizarre "news" items, some no longer than tweets, and few of them actual news.

Steve Tignor weighed in and recited an old but funny tale involving Ilie Nastase, which ends in a typically classy kiss-off from the crazy Romanian.

I wonder if locker-room dust ups are common. Given how insular tennis players are on court - rarely acknowledging their foe until the end - perhaps the tension spills over but not so often into fisticuffs. Still, I'm sure many have wished it did...

See Sampras and Agassi at the indian Wells Haiti fundraiser.

Wouldn't ya just love if they hadn't been miked? Or, if they thought they weren't - what would they have said? :s

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Imagine if Sampras' down-the-line serve had hit Agassi in the eye. I'm not kidding, I think the consequences would have been huge. Sampras hit that thing extremely hard, full-intent, and it was accurate. Agassi has perhaps the best reflexes in tennis, fortunately.

 

[scoop]

Roddick did not tell the whole story, it was worse. I know the former US Open locker room manager who held the post for over two decades. He witnessed this Roddick-Djokovic confrontation and told me it was a lot more heated and intense then what Roddick said. Roddick had to be held back, and then verbally abused Djokovic to the point that Djokovic was crying, literally crying with tears running down his cheeks. My source swears this really happened. I have no reason to doubt his word. Djokovic was physically humiliated by Roddick and it had a long term effect on his play, spirit, ego.

 

[Moxie]

Roddick did not tell the whole story, it was worse. I know the former US Open locker room manager who held the post for over two decades. He witnessed this Roddick-Djokovic confrontation and told me it was a lot more heated and intense then what Roddick said. Roddick had to be held back, and then verbally abused Djokovic to the point that Djokovic was crying, literally crying with tears running down his cheeks. My source swears this really happened. I have no reason to doubt his word. Djokovic was physically humiliated by Roddick and it had a long term effect on his play, spirit, ego.

That's interesting inside scoop, Scoop. I know this was a situation that effected Djokovic. Why do you think so, as you make it clear that you think it was pivotal.

 

[calitennis127]

Roddick did not tell the whole story, it was worse. I know the former US Open locker room manager who held the post for over two decades. He witnessed this Roddick-Djokovic confrontation and told me it was a lot more heated and intense then what Roddick said. Roddick had to be held back, and then verbally abused Djokovic to the point that Djokovic was crying, literally crying with tears running down his cheeks. My source swears this really happened. I have no reason to doubt his word. Djokovic was physically humiliated by Roddick and it had a long term effect on his play, spirit, ego.

Interesting.

But what exactly caused this confrontation? Did it happen before or after Djokovic beat him in the quarterfinal? I don't see why Roddick would have had reason to be that angry unless it was after the loss and the on-court interview Djokovic did.

 

[calitennis127]

Saw that yeah and who else but resident gossip clown on tennis.com, Matt Cronin, could bring such "news" over a year after Roddick's retirement. Seriously, can he not write some proper tennis news and current news? The guy's unreal.

That's true, Cronin has some bizarre "news" items, some no longer than tweets, and few of them actual news.

Steve Tignor weighed in and recited an old but funny tale involving Ilie Nastase, which ends in a typically classy kiss-off from the crazy Romanian.

I wonder if locker-room dust ups are common. Given how insular tennis players are on court - rarely acknowledging their foe until the end - perhaps the tension spills over but not so often into fisticuffs. Still, I'm sure many have wished it did...

See Sampras and Agassi at the indian Wells Haiti fundraiser.

Wouldn't ya just love if they hadn't been miked? Or, if they thought they weren't - what would they have said? :s

Well, what do you think they would have said? Could you perhaps imagine a script here? Come on, Kieran, I am urging you on. :clap

Better yet, let's imagine such an exchange between Federer and Nadal:

RF: "You always needed me to miss those open shots to pull out the wins."

RN: "Does your whole family get to eat off of all those second place French Open plates?" (That one is courtesy of a relative of mine, I must give him credit.)

RF: "How did it feel to win so many matches with the other guy hitting 30 more winners?"

RN: "It must have felt better than you felt after the Australian Open final. How did that 5th set go?"

RF: "Yeah, I know, it was all in my control and I lost it. At least I was the one who had that power."

RN: "I beat you at Cincinnati - did you ever beat me at Rome?"

RF: "I won Wimbledon 7 times. Were Darcis and Rosol out of your league?"

RN: "Wait a minute....Tommy Robredo?"

RF: "2008 Australian Open semifinal. How'd you do in that one?"

RN: "Better than you did at the French Open final a couple months later."

RF: "Which was better than you ever did against me at Masters Cup with your moonballing."


And then Uncle Toni and Fed's father would just stare at each other.

 

[scoop]

It happened moments after the QF night match Cali. But something else happened during that tourney. During Arthur Ashe Kids Day on the Saturday afternoon before day one, Roddick and Djokovic played a fun tiebreak exo during the event on Ashe Stadium, both were miked and wearing earphones, it was supposed to be fun. Then Roddick hit a drop shot during an early point in the tiebreak and Djokovic fetched it back, and then astonishingly, Roddick smashed a forehand right at Djokovic who was at net. He dodged it but was upset. He said to Andy, "So that's the way you want to play Andy?" The rest of the tiebreak was very tense, Djokovic won it but Andy pretended he didn't care or know what the score was. You could tell there was a major grudge between the two. I was told after the "fight" Djokovic was crying and was humiliated by Roddick's bullying and intimidation. Then in the SF vs. Federer, Djokovic had no emotion no passion, he was like a zombie out there. His career went into a tailspin, the serve went off, the fatigue factor, I think it could all have been a manifestation from that humiliating clash with Roddick, Moxie. Djokovic is very sensitive, I think it really hurt him for a good while. He wants to be liked and accepted. Thank goodness he overcame that episode and became the complete mature great champion he is today. BTW I also know about an episode of Roddick bullying and intimidating Nishikori in the locker room after their match in San Jose, which was shortly after Kei won his first title in Delray Beach vs. Blake. I was told the inside story by a Japanese journalist. Roddick verbally abused Kei and made him cry. Literally made him cry. Roddick was a fierce intimidating competitor who used bully tactics on occasion.

 

[Kieran]

Interesting, Scoop, makes me glad I never warmed to the guy - and that Federer kicked his ass do many times...

 

[britbox]

Thanks for the anectodes Scoop - always interesting to hear some behind the scenes stuff. I bet your pal in the locker room heard all sorts of interesting stuff. Fly on the wall!

 

[Ricardo]

I would be curious to know if he didn't try bullying guys who regularly beats him, and look
"bully-able". The guys come to mind include:

Federer, the Swiss owns him out right and looks really gentle and not muscular. Wouldn't he love to have a go at Fed face-to-face before a big match?

Hewitt, the Aussie is a thorn for Roddick and you can usually bet on Hewitt to prevail in a big match. Since their prime over-lapped quite a bit, wouldn't it have helped if he gave Hewitt a bit of the Djoker-treatment? after all Hewitt may be feisty but he is only little

i can see he wouldn't do it to Nadal and Tsonga, but Federer and Hewitt should be 'easy'......

did he ever try and it did not work or there is something else we don't know?

 

[DarthFed]

I would be curious to know if he didn't try bullying guys who regularly beats him, and look
"bully-able". The guys come to mind include:

Federer, the Swiss owns him out right and looks really gentle and not muscular. Wouldn't he love to have a go at Fed face-to-face before a big match?

Hewitt, the Aussie is a thorn for Roddick and you can usually bet on Hewitt to prevail in a big match. Since their prime over-lapped quite a bit, wouldn't it have helped if he gave Hewitt a bit of the Djoker-treatment? after all Hewitt may be feisty but he is only little

i can see he wouldn't do it to Nadal and Tsonga, but Federer and Hewitt should be 'easy'......

did he ever try and it did not work or there is something else we don't know?

I could imagine Roddick and Hewitt having some good "locker room banter" Hewitt is small but he always was revved up and ready to go. They had some excellent matches in the early 00's but Hewitt was usually on the winning end.

 

[Didi]

As far as I am concerned a fiercly contested locker room fist fight between Roddick and Djokovic would have been far more entertaining than the disgrace that was called heavyweight championship of the world between Klitschko and Povetkin this weekend.

 

[tented]

Thank you for the inside info, Scoop.

I remember at the time things were extremely tense between them, so it isn't surprising they nearly came to blows.

 

[DarthFed]

I like Roddick but with what he said in 2008 before the match I saw nothing wrong with how Djokovic reacted after winning. He could have been worse about it after letting his racquet do the talking. You talk trash like that your opponent has all the more reason to want to demolish you.

 

[scoop]

Hewitt was not and could not be intimidated. I know of one match where they got heated and Roddick objected to the flying fists and come ons and Hewitt shot back, according to a witness. "Take a crack at it mate." Hewitt looks and acts like he knows how to fight, even the boxer Andrew Golota said Hewitt looks like he "wants to fight." For research of my Hewitt book a coach told me he saw Hewitt play at age twelve and he had two black eyes ) So Roddick was not able to intimidate Hewitt. They actually became friendly in later years, I remember Roddick saying nice things about Hewitt and how they became more friendly than fierce rivals at the end. There was also a story about Ljubicic and Roddick having a disagreement after their US Open match where Roddick ended up calling him on the phone that night after the match after being annoyed by what Ivan had said. Not sure if there was any face to face confrontation. Yes BritB, my source in the US Open locker room worked there for over two decades, he shared many many anecdotes, episodes and near fist fights ) Courier once had it out with Chang's brother. The Bryans and Nestor/Knowles came very close to brawling years ago. He said if they weren't there to break it up, they would have thrown down.

 

[Kieran]

Roddick seems like a flowery SOB. I wonder if anyone ever stood up to him and cut him down to size. Was he like this because he saw himself as the entitled poster boy, after Pete and Andre? The last big American hero? Only speculating, but he sounds nasty... :nono