Posted by Abigail Lorge, TENNIS.com
Though I'm rarely at a loss for words -- I could give notoriously verbose Marion Bartoli a run for her money in a talk-a-thon -- I find myself short on tennis opinions today. Happily, Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman dropped "indignation" and "ramifications" in a five-minute interview on PTI last week, reminding me that occasionally it's as much of a pleasure to listen to athletes as it is to watch them hammer home runs or forehands.
There may be no "Big Puma" in tennis, but the sport is full of articulate players who are more than capable of subbing in for me by providing insightful words of wisdom, plus some entertainingly derisive, sarcastic or self-deprecating quips. So as March starts and the spring circuit looms, here are some of the best player quotes from 2009 so far:
Showing a healthy sense of perspective
Andy Murray, on his loss to Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round at the Australian Open:
"For me it's not a disaster. I'm still playing well. I lost to a good player in a very close match. I'll have more chances to win Grand Slams."
Being pragmatic
Jelena Dokic, on whether she'd be open to seeing her father again:
"No, I mean, I've said always my whole story with him is finished. It would have to be an unbelievable miracle for him to change. I don't see that happening."
Being self-critical
Gael Monfils, on the dubious tactical decision to take the pace off some of his shots in the first set of his fourth-round Aussie Open match against Gilles Simon:
"I tried to do something else, but actually was s---."
Succumbing to envy
Fernando Verdasco, on speaking with Andre Agassi in Las Vegas in December:
"I was speaking with him two hours before he left for the mountains. He was leaving with Steffi to enjoy Christmas. He was going to ski. I love skiing. I was there in the gym working hard, so I was a little bit jealous."
Taking a stand
Andy Roddick, on his decision not to compete at the Dubai Tennis Championships in protest of the United Arab Emirates' denial of a visa to Israeli player Shahar Peer a week earlier:
"There were a lot of factors why I should probably go, and obviously having played well there doesn't make it any easier."
Stating the obvious
Elena Dementieva, on competing with an improved serve:
"It's much easier to play without making, you know, like 10 or more double faults, for sure."
Knowing one's opponent
Gilles Simon, on whether he has a tactical plan for beating Rafael Nadal:
"Yes. I have to run five hours to win. I have no choice."
Not knowing one's interviewer
Marion Bartoli, to a hearing-impaired journalist who shouted a question to her in an auditorium in Melbourne:
"Yeah, I can hear you fine."
Making concessions
Roger Federer (not a fan of Hawk-Eye) on the device's occasional utility:
"If it's 9-all in the fifth set … and there's a terrible call because the linesperson was sleeping and the umpire was drinking coffee, of course then it's good you have it."
Second-guessing
Serena Williams, on not playing well when she first got to Oz despite having worked hard in the offseason:
"It's been really kind of frustrating. I'm thinking I could have been at a pool instead of training."
Giving props to opponents
Andy Roddick on Tomas Berdych:
"The guy hits the ball a ton and he hardly looks like he's swinging and the ball's coming in heavy. He has weapons."
Roger Federer on Berdych:
"You combine serve, forehand and backhand, it's incredible, the pace he gets with little effort."
Fernando Gonzalez, on Richard Gasquet, whom the Spaniard ultimately defeated in five sets in Melbourne:
"I mean, he was playing like a superhero, maybe. I mean, I couldn't do anything."
Gonazalez on Rafael Nadal:
"Rafa, when he's up in the score, he's a different player."
Elena Dementieva, on Martina Hingis:
"I always admired her, the way she was playing, the way she behaved. I thought she was just the perfect No. 1."
Slightly less respect for opponents
Dinara Safina on Alla Kudryavtseva:
"I'm also lucky that I won the first round [in Melbourne]. The girl, I didn't even have to stay in the court because she was playing [against] herself. She was shooting 10 balls in the fence, one in the court."
Safina on Alize Cornet:
"I'm just a little bit disappointed about this match, you know. Playing against this girl and allowing myself to do these kind of mistakes. … She's not serving aces, so it's all about me."
Even less respect for oneself
Safina:
"I telling myself, hit the ball and just arm doesn't go because my mind is just stupid."
More Safina:
"The problem is that I'm doubting because I'm not playing the game I used to play. Either somebody just smacks me so hard in my head that something shakes finally and I put the cables together."
Dishing out awards
The best way to prepare for the heat
Fernando Verdasco, on anticipated high temperatures for his quarterfinal match at the Australian Open:
"If you tell me now, I will go to the fridge. I will put myself in for a few days."
The most dubious recovery regimen
Jelena Dokic, on her coach's reaction to her fourth-round victory in Oz:
"I think he might have a few drinks tonight. I think I might as well."
Lost in translation
Question to Serena Williams, after she said she enjoys household chores like cooking and cleaning: "Do you do windows?"
"I'm an HP girl, Hewlett Packard."
Good thing it wasn't appendicitis
Zheng Jie, on the seriousness of the wrist injury that forced her to retire from her fourth-round match in Melbourne:
"I don't know because today is holiday for hospital."
Knowing what it takes to win
Fernando Gonzalez:
"My body is still alive. That's important."
