Tennis

Manolo Santana: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Manolo Santana Roller Blades Over Argentinean Davis Cup Hopes

What he said (via Tennis.com):

“We are superior on clay, grass, hard courts and, if necessary, even on roller skates.”

Spanish tennis great, Manolo Santana, holds out no hope for Argentina when they face Spain in the year-ending Davis Cup final beginning December 2, 2011.

Rafael Nadal leads the home surge to the team title.

Santana said:

From 0 to 10, I would give Argentina a 2 to win Davis Cup and that’s being nice. Spain is clearly superior to Argentina. We are playing at home with a large audience. We are superior on clay, grass, hard courts and, if necessary, even on roller skates. I am optimistic. I think they will win 4-1 or 3-2, unless something unforeseen happens.

The Argentineans will rely on magic from Juan Martin Del Potro and David Nalbandian to pull off an upset.

Speaking to Yahoo! Euro Sports, Sanatana wrote off Del Potro’s chances, saying, “I think Rafa today is far superior to Del Potro. Del Potro went a long time without playing. In Valencia, where I saw him play, he wasn’t very accurate. I don’t believe he’s going to arrive in perfect form.”

What he really meant:

“Mano O Mano, we’re better and we’ll roll them over—come what may.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“It’s Davis Cup. Anything can happen, anytime.”

Rory McIlroy: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Rory McIlroy Will Not Be Switching To Tennis Anytime Soon

What he said:

"She has more potential at golf than I do at tennis.”

Irish golfer, Rory McIlroy, believes that girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki would be better at golf than him at tennis.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, McIlroy said (via Tennis.com):

Being a tennis player her upper body is pretty strong. She has more potential at golf than I do at tennis. The thing is that when I play tennis the competitive side in me comes to the fore and I want to play well every time but it just doesn’t happen. I would get more frustrated because I want to be able to grasp tennis straight away.

The golfer disclosed that Wozniacki is something of a mental coach to him.

McIlroy said:

"When Caroline and I might discuss our own sport, I am very interested in how she prepares herself for the mental side of big tennis tournaments like how she goes about setting goals or whatever.That sort of discussion gives me a good insight into how she deals with similar issues I might face."

What he really meant:

“She could probably drive like Tiger.I couldn’t  serve like Roddick, though.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Soon, I’ll be caddying up for Caroline.”

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Is Pleased With The Man In The Mirror

What he said:

"Tonight I can see myself in the mirror and say, Yeah, you fight enough."

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is satisfied with his level of play despite losing his third successive Sunday match to Roger Federer in 15 days. (via Tennis-X.com)

The Frenchman succumbed to the Swiss master at the World Tour Finals in London.

What he really meant:

“Starting with the man in the mirror, I’m not asking him to change his ways. Just lose a little less.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Man, Roger fights more.”

Kimberley Nixon: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Kimberley Nixon Is Befuddled By Serb Names

What she said:

“Djokovic is amazing but I have a soft spot for Tipsaravic. For 20mins thought the umpire was saying chip sandwich?!?”

Welsh actress, Kimberley Nixon, was at the London ATP World Tour Finals (ATF) catching the action.

Nixon was well aware of Novak Djokovic’s exploits this year. But his fellow Serb, Janko Tipsarevic, came under her radar for the first time.

What she really meant:

“For better or verse, Serb names could be worse!”

What she definitely didn’t:

“I don’t really follow tennis. I merely play it by ear.”

Yannick Noah: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Yannick Noah Does Not Care For Rafael Nadal’s Pleasantries

What he said:

“But what do I care if he says hello to me or not?"

Yannick Noah is not regretful—one bit—for stirring up a hornet’s nest with his comments in French daily, Le Monde, accusing Spanish players of systemic doping.

Noah said that all players, not just Spanish, should have access to this “magic potion” that has Spaniards out-performing their French counterparts.

Noah defended his last week’s comments saying:

"If I chose this turn of phrase, it was to address the authorities … in order to start a debate.”

Noah added:

"I am a bit frustrated that there are two weights and two measures in terms of doping, whether it’s Spain or another country.Of course all Spanish athletes aren’t doped … (But) are (the French) worse than the others? I don’t think so."

Noah’s remarks have been met with derision and wide-spread condemnation.

Rafael Nadal called for a media gag on Noah.

Noah responded:

"I went through the same thing 30 years ago, when I was 20. I spoke about doping and drugs and everyone had a go at me.I couldn’t respond to everyone. To Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle, who’s told his nephew never to say hello to me again. But what do I care if he says hello to me or not?"

Noah pointed out existing cases of Spanish doping including high-profile names such as cyclist Alberto Contador and steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez.

"The cyclist who ate some meat that helped him pedal faster and who was cleared by his federation, the case of (Dominguez) stopped by the police and then cleared.My question is the following: Is this not all orchestrated? In the Puerto case, I have the feeling that the affair has been smothered, that names have been hidden."

The Frenchman reiterated his opposition to all forms of drug abuse:

I am against all forms of doping, but I’m hypersensitive when it comes to injustice. There are too many cheats winning these days. In Spain and elsewhere.At which point is an athlete considered to have doped? When he takes a product that makes him run faster, makes him stronger, helps him recover more quickly? Or when he tests positive? The answer to the question is not the same, depending on the country.

There are side effects which you never read about on the front pages of the newspapers.We know there have been problems in the past with Italian footballers who are now seriously ill.

What Yannick Noah really meant:

“We won’t have much to discuss anyway. I want to talk ‘dope’. He doesn’t.”

What Yannick Noah definitely didn’t:

“It’s only words
And words are all I have
To take your pride and titles away.”

Read Yannick Noah’s full interview to Le Monde here.

Rafael Nadal: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Rafael Nadal Raps Yannick Noah

What  he said:

“When one kid says something it’s not painful for us."

Rafael Nadal kids not in his response to Yannick Noah’s allegations of systemic doping by Spain’s elite athletes.

Noah, writing for French daily Le Monde, said:

“Today if you don’t have the magic potion, it’s hard to win. How can a nation dominate sport virtually overnight like this?"

Noah began his article thus:

When I still milled around on the courts with my racket, we weren’t ridiculous, far from it, against our Spanish friends.

It was the same on the soccer fields, the basketball halls or on the roads of the Tour de France. Today they are running faster than us, are much more stronger and only leave us the bread crumbs.

We look like dwarves. Did we miss something? Did they discover some avant-garde techniques or training facilities that nobody before them had imagined?

Nadal reacted angrily to the Frenchman’s allegations.

He said:

"What he said is completely stupid. This guy does not deserve to write in newspapers anymore."

Nadal added:

He knows better than anybody that to say that today is a totally stupid thing because you know how many anti-doping controls we have during the season, year by year.

So in my opinion, the article that he wrote was from a kid and when one kid says something it’s not painful for us.

The French tennis federation were equally trenchant in their criticism.

Their statement read:

The French Tennis Federation wishes to express its disagreement with Yannick Noah’s comments made in Le Monde newspaper.

Against the plague of doping in sport, baseless accusations and provocative comments are inappropriate, and the worst attitude would be to give up.

What Rafael Nadal really meant:

“Sounds like French whine to me.”

What Rafael Nadal definitely didn’t:

“I’m so beefy because Alberto Contador’s butcher is mine too.”

Yannick Noah: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Yannick Noah Asserts Spaniards Have Magic Potion

What he said:

“For now, the sport is like Asterix at the Olympic Games: If you do not have the magic potion, it’s hard to win.”

Former French tennis star, Yannick Noah, set the cat among the pigeons with his remarks in the French daily, Le Monde, accusing the Spanish players of doping.

Noah is the last French male to win at Roland Garros.

In an editorial for the leftist paper, Noah wrote:

When I still milled around on the courts with my racket, we weren’t ridiculous, far from it, against our Spanish friends. Same on the soccer fields, the basketballs halls or on the roads of the Tour de France. Today they are running faster than us, are much more stronger and only leave us the bread crumbs. Compared to us, it’s simple, we look like dwarves. Did we miss something?

Noah ended his column with the following words:

“Let’s stop the hypocrisy. We must of course respect the presumption of innocence, but no one is fooled. The best attitude to adopt is to accept doping. And everyone will have the magic potion.”

The Spaniards were quick to react.

David Ferrer told DPA:

Your son [Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls] plays in the NBA, where there are no doping controls. This is not the best person to talk, I think it’s total ignorance. For a person who has played tennis and knows how the sport works to say that is outrageous with reason or thinking.

Former Wimbledon champion Manolo Santana said:

It seems out of place. Spain is now the leading power of sport and statements like that are not good for him and not for sport in general … When people want fame, the only way to have it’s messing with a person or an entity as large as Spain in sport. In basketball, soccer, tennis, Formula One, athletics—in all sports Spain is at the forefront.

The French minister for sports, David Douillet, distanced himself from Noah’s remarks.

Douillet said:

“I am living proof that one can win without doping."

Douillet is a double Olympic judo champion, winning gold at the 1996 and 2000 editions. He is also a four-time world champion.

French doubles specialist, Michael Llodra, apologised to Rafael and Toni Nadal for Noah’s remarks.

Llodra said:

"I’m sorry about what Noah said. We don’t understand.He’s stupid and maybe he was… (drunk).”

What Yannick Noah really meant:

“I can’t explain how the Spaniards keep trouncing my fellow countrymen. It must be hocus-pocus.”

What Yannick Noah definitely didn’t:

“Asterix was French and he couldn’t do without his magic potion.”

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

Andy Murray Goes ‘Bollocks’

What he said:

“I have been to watch a lot of football matches and you say a lot worse than that and you don’t get yellow card."

Andy Murray compares the code violation he received in his match against Tomas Berdych at the Paris Masters to a yellow card.

Murray was complaining about the change in balls. Berdych felt the balls were too soft and called for fresh ones.

Murray said:

Tomas decided that the balls were too soft—which they weren’t. The umpire gave him three brand new balls to serve with … I wasn’t aware that they were just changing three brand new balls. Then that totally changed the way the ball plays and the court plays. That was what happened. I just asked, ‘Is it not normal to let the opponent also see the balls?

On the warning he received, the Scot added:

"Actually I said bollocks to the chair umpire and that got me a warning.”

What he really meant:

“They don’t change balls either and  they have substitutes.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“What a soccer!”

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

Andy Murray Dislikes Fish For Breakfast

What he said:

"The hardest thing is 45 minutes to an hour before going on court I have to get pasta and fish down and fish at that time of the morning isn’t great.”

Andy Murray is not voluntarily an early bird when it comes to taking to the tennis court.

The Scot is not enthused about having pasta and fish before his big match against Andy Roddick at the Paris Masters.

Murray added:

That’s why tennis is a bit challenging because you never know when you could play.

It’s something you get used to the more years you’re on the tour but it’s probably the earliest start I’ve had in six or seven years.

Murray lost in the quarters to Tomas Berdych.

What he really meant:

“I’d rather be fishing that early.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“More sauce with the pasta, please.”

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

Andy Roddick Is Cognizant About Negotiations

What he said:

“Listen, you don’t go into negotiation and have someone represent both sides.”

Andy Roddick is not convinced that the ATP system is in the players’ best interests.

The men’s body is currently seeking a fresh CEO.

Roddick said:

Hopefully someone can get in there and win the battle of rhetoric one of these times and get someone to approve some changes. But under the present system, he really can’t. Some of the good ol’ boys club have it figured out pretty good. It’s not an easy position. It’s not as if we haven’t had smart people. We have had different types; very abrasive kind of showy personalities in there; we’ve had more of a demure, quiet, smart person in there. We’ve covered our personality bases. I think at a certain point you have to look at the system as being flawed as opposed to continually looking for the scapegoat.

The ATP board consists of seven members including the CEO; three are tournament representatives and the other three present the players’ views.

The 10-member ATP Player Council elect the player representatives.

Roddick feels that it’s “an impossible situation” for the ATP head.

Listen, you don’t go into negotiation and have someone represent both sides. It just doesn’t happen in any business transaction or negotiation. I don’t think it’s the CEO’s fault. It’s an impossible situation. I think the system is suspect.

What he really meant:

“Negotiations are not about eating your cake and keeping it too.”

What he definitely didn’t: