Andy Roddick Loses Cool and Crashes Out of Western and Southern Open
Andy Roddick, two-time Cincinnati champion tennis star, is no longer in the Western and Southern Open, and he did not leave quietly.
Roddick, 2003 U.S. Open winner, seemed to lose his cool in the final set, when he forcefully smacked a ball into the stands. The action resulted in a point penalty by chair umpire Carlos Bernardes.
Although the penalty put Roddick behind his opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber 2-0, the frustrated tennis star said he understood why he lost in the first round of the Western and Southern Open. However, he thought the penalty may have been out of line.
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“It’s so frustrating. I certainly accept what I did,” Roddick said, according to Washing Post reports. “I put him in a bad situation out there, but I do think it’s stupid in tennis that - I mean, in football if someone throws a helmet on the sideline, it’s their helmet. We wonder where we lose our ratings battles to the WWF, Monday Night Raw.”
Although he admitted to seeing Bernardes’ point of view, Roddick used players such as John McEnroe as examples of why tennis players should not be penalized harshly for showing their frustration during matches.
“The guy is still getting endorsements because he was allowed to throw” things, Roddick said. “I understand where (Bernardes) is coming from, but at a certain point, you know, you hit a tennis ball into a stadium, someone goes home with a souvenir, and it pretty much ruins the match from there” to penalize the player.
After beating Roddick, Kohlschreiber spoke about using his opponent’s frustration to his advantage.
“I started guessing right and returning balls,” Kohlschreiber said. “I took the chances, and he got a little frustrated.”
Roddick said he realized that he lost the match for himself after acting out of frustration.
“At a certain point, I would love it if we got out of our own way,” Roddick said. “Seems counterproductive.”
