US Open 2011

Flavia Pennetta: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Flavia Pennetta Has An Old Head on Young Shoulders

What she said:

“I didn’t know that, but I know I’m a little bit old, like for tennis; for life I’m young.”

Flavia Pennetta is astounded to learn that she’s among the three oldest women still left in the women’s draw at the US Open.

Pennetta added:

But, well, actually we have a good experience, like Francesca last year, she won Roland Garros and she was 30, and this year final with 31.  Na Li, she won Roland Garros and she’s 29, also.  There is some player can growing up early and some player they need time, and I’m one of them.

What she really meant:

“Life begins after tennis.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“If I’m old before I’m 30, I wonder where middle age went?”

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

Andy Roddick Does Not Let Cramps Crimp His Style

What he said:

“Cramp in your ass, you can’t sit on it anymore.  Makes it tough.”

Andy Roddick expounds on Rafael Nadal’s cramps collapse at his post-match interview.

Roddick said:

Yeah, not to put a dampener on the story, which I know you guys think is really big, but people cramp after matches when you’re cold.  It’s just something that happens.  It’s just unfortunate it happened in front of you all.  Every single player in there has had that happen before.  Every single one.  What we do, we run around, run miles and miles and miles and miles on the tennis court in nasty weather.  You throw nerves in there, I mean, it happens.  As long as it doesn’t happen during a match, you’re fine.

What he really meant:

“Have you ever seen a guy stand when he’s suffering from cramps?”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Cold weather, nerves and plenty of running. What a cocktail for adrenaline.”

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Plays The Aggressor

What she said:

“Well, first of all, I tried to be excessive aggressive.”

Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova explains how she put it across Francesca Schivaone in the fourth round of the US Open.

What she really meant:

“More aggro than usual, that’s how I played.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“I was passively aggressive.”

Ana Ivanovic: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Ana Ivanovic Combusts

What she said:

“Well, I think Serbians actually have quite a combustible character.”

Ana Ivanovic feels that Serbians, as a whole, are quite passionate.

She added:

Maybe that’s good for tennis.  Maybe that’s something that drives us.  But sometimes we can have fired up emotions out there.

What she really meant:

“Serbians are like tinder. They just need a tiny spark to light up.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“Burn, Baby, Burn.”

Samantha Stosur: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Sam Stosur Violates The Code

What she  said:

“Yeah, I guess it’s a new thing I’ve got next to my name now.”

Samantha Stosur has a fresh appendage against her name. The Australian No. 1 was referring to a code violation she received for an audible obscenity in her match against Maria Kirilenko in the fourth round of the  US Open.

Stosur said:

I never had one.  The only disappointing thing to come out of the match.  I’m not proud of it, but I guess I released whatever I had to release and moved on.

Yeah, I guess I’m trying as hard as I can out there and don’t want to leave anything out there.  You don’t want to get a code violation or do something wrong, but if that’s what you have to do to release it and be able to play the next point well, then so be it.

What she really meant:

“Samantha, the Code Violator—how does that sound?”

What she definitely didn’t:

“I’m ‘Sam the  Mouth’. Catch me if you can.”

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

Serena Williams Cuts the Crap and Does the Crip

What she said:

“I walk out there, do the Crip walk and try to intimidate them.”

Serena Williams jokes that she tries to be as formidable with her on-court behaviour as with her tennis. Williams was responding to Ana Ivanovic’s claim that she is intimidating to her opponents.

What she really meant:

“If Petkovic can dance, I can do the Crip walk. Which, do you think, is more scary?”

What she definitely didn’t:

“I’m cutting a rap album soon. It’s called ‘Gal Wars At Flushing Meadows’”

Caroline Wozniacki: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Caroline Wozniacki is no Balboa

What she said:

“I prefer not to knock out anyone.  I’m a nice girl, so…  Or I like to think so.”

Caroline Wozniacki enlightens us that she considers herself to be a ‘nice girl’ and thus would not ever knock anyone out. Perhaps, that explains why she does not have a major to her name yet. Here’s hoping that Wozniacki can prove that nice girls don’t  have to finish last.

What she really meant:

“Nice girls can box too.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“Just call me Rosy Balboa from now on.”

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

What she said:

“I love McDonald’s, I really do, but I’m not going to be able to eat it.  I always have left overs.  I’m left over queen.”

Serena Williams is quick to point out that, unlike Rafael Nadal, she has something healthier to eat in the wee hours of the morning—should any of her matches end that late.

What she really meant:

“Just to let you guys know ,I don’t overeat. I have leftovers—always.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“After gobbling all those bananas and energy bars on court, I’m still famished?”

Tommy Haas: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

What he said:

"You know, if you count up all the months I’ve missed due to injuries or surgeries that I’ve had, I’m probably 29 years old really."

Tommy Haas is not that old—according to him. The German was responding to the question that he’s perhaps better because of the time he spent off court in his prime.

What he really meant:

“I really think I can do a minor Agassi star turn here.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I can get the mirror to lie to me—daily. Some days, better than others.”

Andrea Petkovic: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

What she said:

"If I feel like dancing, I dance. If I don’t feel like it, I don’t. I don’t care what other people say about me, so I guess that’s being me."

German Andrea Petkovic can dance but will or will not prance on court—whether you like it or not.

Petkovic said:

“Well, I just try, you know, to    I’m obviously very emotional, and I just try to live my emotions even if it’s negative.  Sometimes it’s positive.  I am I’m very free minded when it comes to this.”

What she really meant:

“Dancing under the New York stars—that’s my prerogative.”

What she definitely didn’t:

“Just call me twinkle toes. I’ve no left feet.”