sports

Andy Roddick: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Andy Roddick Talks Money

What he said:

“13% of total revenue?  I’ll let you write your story.”

Andy Roddick does not shy from articulating that players feel that they need a bigger say in how tournaments are run (and how much money they receive).

What he really meant:

“You have the facts and figures. Go figure.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“If the players received less money, then maybe Arthur Ashe could put up a new roof and quick.”

Andy Roddick: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Andy Roddick Is Baffled

What he said:

"I’m baffled, I’m baffled. Why are we out here?"

Andy Roddick is none-too-pleased with having to take the court on a wet day in Queens, New York.

Roddick, in his interview later, clarified:

I was surprised the second time we got called out.  We walked back there and it was wet, so I couldn’t quite figure out why we were called out.  I even said it’s coming from under.  It’s not something you can dab a towel on and make it go away.  I watched the monitors, and they were dabbing towels on it the entire time. Then they called us back out, and we walked right over it and it was wet.  I could not believe what I was looking at.  I mean, puts us in a little bit of an uncomfortable position, too, because obviously, you know, we want to play and stuff.  But it’s still there, dude.

What he really meant:

“We should be chiming ‘Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head’ instead.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I love wet balls.”

Andy Roddick: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Andy Roddick Negotiates At The US Open

What he said:

"I have been trying to tell people that talent normally wins in negotiations."

Andy Roddick believes it’s time players banded together to form a union. This would ensure that commercial interests do not override players’ welfare.

What he really meant:

“Tournaments aren’t money spinners when they lack star players.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Negotiations are as easy as serving aces.”

David Ferrer: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

David Ferrer is Sore

What he said:

"It was not nice playing on Court 13, but it was nice when you are junior, no?"

David Ferrer points out how far he’s come since his junior days. The expectations differ and he’s not quite pleased with having to play on the side courts at the US Open. Ferrer succumbed to Andy Roddick in the fourth round.

What he really meant:

“When we were younger, we didn’t know better. Besides, I lost. Do you really expect me to be singing paeans of praise?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Ah! For those glorious junior days!”

Serena Williams: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Serena Williams Is Very, Very Careful

What she said:

"I always go out wearing either shoes that cover all my foot or most of it. I’m serious."

Serena Williams does not want a recurrence of the freak leg injury she suffered last year that kept her out of circulation on the tennis circuit.

What she really meant:

“These boots are not just meant for walking. Naked feet give me terrible deja vu.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“Closed pairs are sexy.”

Serena Williams: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

What she said:

“Well, I give half to my favorite uncle, and then the rest I probably save it hopefully.  Pray that the banks don’t go down.  (Laughter.)”

Serena William knows just what to do with the $2.8 million she will get at the US Open if she wins.

What she really meant:

“You do know, the Uncle I was referring to is Uncle Sam. Taxes, my friends, taxes.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“You’d think my $1.4 million would prop up the banks.”

Nasser Hussain: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Nasser Hussain Goes Gold-Digging

What he said:

“When you get a bowler, it’s like gold dust. You do not just let him go.”

Nasser Hussain compares bowling talent to the discovery of a gold vein.

What he really meant:

“Have you seen the price of gold lately? A good bowler’s value is like that. It keeps appreciating—with experience.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Stake a claim and exploit them to the hilt.”

N Srinivasan: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

N Srinivasan Is Taken For a Ride

What he said:

We were taken for a ride. I know we cannot plead before you that we did not know all this was happening. Your question would be, were you not vigilant? What did you do? I am sorry, sir, there is no defence for me. No defence in front of you. So, I am not pleading that at all. We just put our heads down.

N Srinivasan, BCCI Secretary and owner of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), claims that he and his colleagues were hoodwinked by ex-IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.

His remarks were made to Parliament’s Standing Committee on finance  when it was discovered that all cheques were signed by Srinivasan—then treasurer— and his successor, MP Pandove.

What he really meant:

“So what if I’m MD of India Cements. Lalit Modi outsmarted us. Believe us, we’re innocents.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“The IPL Governing Council was farcical.”

Graeme Swann: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Graeme Swann Feels Like a Nursemaid to his Younger Teammates

What he said:

"When they take their tops off you can see they’ve barely started puberty."

English off-spinner, Graeme Swann, likes to believe that he is the grizzled old veteran in the ODI squad likening his younger team-mates—Eoin Morgan and Jade Dernbach—to pubescent adolescents.

What he really meant:

“That’s what you get what calling me ‘Granddad’”.

What he definitely didn’t:

“You guys can always come up to me for advice on what to do for pimples and dandruff.”

Janko Tipsarevic: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Janko Tipsarevic Is Gluten Tolerant

What he said:

I am not.  I did my food intolerance test, which I advise everyone on the tour should do, and I took out some, how you say, substances or, you know, some kind of ingredients that I thought were good for me but they’re actually not.  But I did the test, and, you know, I am gluten tolerant.  (Laughter.)  I can eat bread.

Janko Tipsarevic is not gluten intolerant unlike his compatriots, Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic.

What he really meant:

“Gluten is not bad—for me or my glutes.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I can eat cake.”