I want your money back!

Marat Safin, who is still alive in Paris Masters 1000 after saving 3 match points in his first round victory over Thierry Ascione, criticised Andre Agassi. Playing his last tournament of his career, Marat insisted that Agassi should give money back to ATP...


"OK, so he feels guilty? Then he should give back his titles, his money and his Grand Slams. If he's about fair play, he should go all the way. You know, the ATP have a bank account, he can pay them back if he wants to." said Safin.

"I guess I have to retire and then after a few years I'll write an autobiography with some confessions." he joked.

~shaw

The sufferings of a Grand Slam champion

"I imagined in perfect detail that a Grand Slam victory would require a lot physicially and mentally, but I was not prepared for the aftermath... I hardly saw my mother and my sister. Only in the plane to Tokyo could I rest a bit."

- Juan Martin Del Potro on how difficult it is to recover mentally after a Grand Slam win. Delpo, you drama queen - just imagine how Steffi Graf must have felt, when she picked the winners trophy 22 times...

~jachal

Oudin explains why she sucked at Fed Cup

"I wanted to come here. I wanted to play for my country. Other people choose different things. Some people I guess didn't want to play as badly as I did.But I think that the team that we had here really wanted to be here. You don't want people here that don't want to be here. Even if you lose, if you give it everything you have, then that's the best you can do."

- Melanie Oudin on the privilege of playing Fed Cup. If you read between the lines, you can easily sense she's criticizing the Williams sisters' attitude towards the Fed Cup.

~jachal

Andre, what did you do?

Roger Federer: "It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future... He has done a lot for tennis, both as a player and as a human being. Today, he raises millions of dollars for his foundation for children."

Rafael Nadal: "If the ATP covered for Agassi then I think that's terrible... The only thing I can say is that if they covered at that moment for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen... Now that he is retired [he] comes out and says this -- it's a senseless way of damaging the sport."

Andy Roddick: "Andre is and always will be my idol. i will judge him on how he's treated me, and how he has changed the world for better... if anything we [top players] are subjected to way more testing and attention.. thats just a fact.. and to be fair when andre wrote the reported letter, he was well outside the top 100 and widely viewed as on the way out."

~shaw

Not so fast! Santoro wants to play more!

Fabrice Santoro, who will turn 37 in December, admitted in a press conference in Lyon that he is considering playing Australian Open 2010. Season 2009 was supossed to be the last one for Fabrice.

"Since a Canadian reporter told me I would be the first to achieve such a feat, I keep on saying to myself that it would be nice, it would be an unusual record." he said in Lyon.

"But if I want to be able to play five-set matches in Melbourne, I must not go skiing in December. I won't make that decision thoughtlessly."

Well, we love you so much Fabrice, that we would be thrilled to see you in Melbourne.

~shaw

Djokovic full of respect

"When I get frustrated I throw my racket. Then I look at Todd and I'm kind of scared about what his reaction might be, what he's going to say."

- Novak Djokovic on his attitude to his new coach Todd Martin.

~shaw

Baghdatis shows good form and positive mood

"When you wake up in the morning and you don't feel any pain, it's easier to play good tennis. I'm having a good run now and enjoying myself on the court. I'm hungry to do well and I want to come back stronger than before."


We think that you already managed to comeback Marcos, considering the fact that few months ago you were about 150 and now you are 41 in the ATP ranking. We are more than happy for you.

~shaw

Safin says goodbye to China and slams Berdych

"Just come on, just grow up a little bit. You are 26 years old, just deal with that. If you're losing, just be a man, be a man and lose as a man."

"Don't pretend that you are injured and then you start running around and start to hit winners and then all of a sudden you pull the hands up in the air after winning the match? Of course he will find 10,000 excuses. Still, it's not enough. You're playing or you're not playing. If you're playing, so just shut...up and play."

~shaw

Has Sharapova got psychological problems?

“That’s the worst match I’ve played in the last six months. It’s normal to win and lose, why do you always question my attitude when I lose? Sharapova also lost today, would you say she has psychological problems?”

- Na Li after going down to Elena Dementieva 2/6; 0/6 in the 3rd round of Beijing. It seems like the pressure finally got to China's best player. The Chinese media really should give her a break, it isn't her fault she doesn't have a Gameplan B (the "B" of course doesn't stand for Ballbashing, coz we all know too good, that she's a master at that...).

~jachal

Guess who's known for splits, glitter and medical timeouts?

"Is her last name Jankovic?"

- Maria Sharapova's response to Victoria Azarenka's second medical timeout during an epic 2nd round match, which the Russian won by coming back from 2-5 down in the third set, to eventually win it 6/3 6/7 7/5. Is this the reason why later that evening Jelena Jankovic didn't retire against Shuai Peng, though clearly still being injured?

~jachal

Rafa's dreams

"I would love to serve like Karlovic and volley like Federer."

- Rafael Nadal dreaming.

~jachal

Williams killer prepares 2 B killed

Sad 2 be dead?

"She started actually way (more) aggressive today especially the first set. She was playing much better, she was already preparing for this match more ... she wanted to kill me I guess."

- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on her 2nd win over Venus Williams in as many weeks. Oh no, Nastya, she didn't want to kill you, it's not Serena, you were playing against... :P

~jachal

You don't know her

"I will shove that ball down your fuckin' throat. I swear to God. You don't know me!"

- Serena Williams tells the lineumpire in her own words what she thinks about the footfault call during the US Open semifinal against Kim Clijsters. Ahh well, we all know the story well enough, don't we?

~jachal

The Madonna of tennis

"My hair always changes and never stays the same, so I’m the Madonna of tennis, I guess."

- Venus Williams. Yes Vee, you're white, wrinkeled and always willing to shock the society.

~jachal

Giant Sharapova

Maria Sharapova, who is already in Tokyo preparing to Toray Pan Pacific Open took a run in a park this morning. She had quite funny adventure right there...


"Just took a run in the park and happened to pass by a group of 20 children who were clearly fascinated by my height. I don't speak much Japanese (none at all as a matter of fact) but I thought I overheard them say 'ooooh giant'. Made me laugh..."

Yes Maria, you are a giant in all meanings of that word...

~shaw

Bye Bye Safin & Santoro

"Where I'm different is like, I'm still enjoying to be on the court and to play tennis."

- Fabrice Santoro on the difference of attitude to matches between him and Marat Safin. Both guys played their last Grand Slam's matches yestarday at US Open.

We will miss you two!

~shaw

Rafa and Richard are still buddies

“Rafa has been by far the nicest to me during the case. He said a lot of very nice things. Moreover, he’s an exceptional champion. If we combined these two elements with my own level currently, there would’ve been a better draw… Physically I’m struggling because of those long weeks without training. I expect it to be really hard. And furthermore, it will be on live on Centre Court. It’s really unlucky.”

- Richard Gasquet on his showdown against Rafael Nadal in the 1st round of this year's US Open. Cool to see, that there's still some heart amongst the elite players. Kudos to Rafa!

~jachal

The head to head is in his head

"If there's one think people know, is that I'm in Roger Federer's head."

- Andy Roddick discussing his amazing 2-19 head to head record against Roger Federer on David Letterman Show. Good to see A-Rod at his best again. At least humour-wise...

~jachal

How could I lose to A-Chak?

"I don't know why she was 5-0 against me. I think I have everything to beat her. But something always happened."

- Elena Vesnina on her negative head to head against Anna Chakvetadze, showing signs of her new found selfconfidence in 2009 after finally beating her compatriot in New Haven yesterday.

~jachal

Weird Kuzy

Still, Sveta, you're only half as weird as your style ;)

"I am a weird person, when I have water here (pointing at neck) I start doing good."

- Svetlana Kuznetsova after clinching the 6/4 5/7 7/6(2) victory over Yanina Wickmayer. The Russian had 2 matchpoints in the second set, but somehow found herself down a break in the third set, while the Belgium was serving for the match in the decider. Kuzy is a headcase, but somehow she's got two Grand Slam titles to her name and the best third set TB winning record of all the top ten players. Weird, huh?

~jachal