Tennis Prose




Sep/12

2

Roddick Praises Old Rival and Current Buddy Hewitt


“He’s probably the best competitor I played against,” Andy Roddick said about Lleyton Hewitt this week at the U.S. Open.

“It’s weird. This year we’ve probably become friends. At first we probably didn’t like each other much and then it came to the point where we respected each other. Then it was slowly like we kind of each give a little ground and say, ‘How you doing? I’m good. How are you? Okay.'”

“Now we’ll text each other back and forth after matches and stuff. It’s funny … how that’s come full circle. I come in today and he’s in the throes of a battle (with Gilles Muller). Our lockers are right next to each other. He came in (after winning in five sets) and he was really pumped up.”

“It would be hard for anyone to respect what he’s done in this game more than I do.”

Nice words from Roddick about Hewitt, it reminds me of when Jeff Tarango said he became a good buddy of Marcelo Rios after their grandstand epic. Like Tarango said, it’s cool how tennis can bring rivals together and closer sometimes after classic battles.

11 comments

  • Andrew Miller · September 3, 2012 at 1:03 am

    Hewitt’s a prickly fellow, maybe Bec has softened him. Who knows?

  • Michael · September 3, 2012 at 2:44 am

    Not sure where to post this but I went to the USO bookstore after Bartoli (minor) upset to look for Rios book. Scoop, the guy working said you gave him ONE copy. So you’ll be pleased to hear they sold out before I arrived. I posted this onsite but I don’t think it went through.

    You may want to deliver another batch.

  • Steve · September 3, 2012 at 8:46 am

    I know a pro stringer that works at the Open. Eventually, talk came to which players are cool and who are not so nice. It turns out that most of the guys that can act badly on the court were some of his favorites and were kind and generous. And the most popular, outgoing guys on court were often rude.

    I think Hewitt is misunderstood but that’s just my guess. It’s intense out there in the heat of battle. Not everyone can be cool & calm like Sampras and throw down second serve aces as if he was casually stretching & yawning. He’s just a different breed of dog.

    I think Roddick is right. His competitive fire is even slightly more intense than Nadal’s or at least equal. He’s probably also tied with Connors for intensity.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 3, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Steve, my friend who worked the US Open mens lockerroom for three decades told me the exact same thing about Hewitt, he’s “misunderstood.” People see the raging intensity on court and think that’s the way he is off court too. Very misunderstood person though I have next to no experience working with Hewitt. Never got a Biofile after trying for a decade, though he was polite about it. Got a lot of excuses but he was nice about it, “Can’t do it during the tournament mate.” “Can’t do it now mate.”

  • Steve · September 3, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    Interesting. I’m glad he was nice about it. Maybe this year he’ll finally do it or say “You cannot be serious, mate”.

    Scoop do you have the credentials to get into the press conferences and ask questions directly?

  • Harold · September 3, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    Seems like people love to practice with Hewitt..As long as ive been going out to the qualies, you see him practicing with the full spectrum. From Fed to helping juniors like McClune..
    Always liked Hewitt, think he got roasted by ESPN, when they were throwing lawsuits at each other back when he refused an on air interview

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 3, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Tomic didn’t want to practice with Hewitt that time at Wimbledon about three years ago, said he wasn’t good enough.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 3, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    Steve, We used to have credentials to even get into the locker room and talk to players but those privileges were rescinded three years ago, apparently because the players union voted to stop that. Up to that point the US Open was the last major that allowed open locker room access to the media. I was one of the only media guys who took advantage of that, very few others did. Now a credential permits you to attend all press conferences and also you are able to approach players in the player lounge indoor and outdoor area.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 3, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    I always liked Hewitt too Harold but he’s always put a wall up to the media and to me. Even before he became #1 I couldn’t get him to do a Biofile spontaneous during the Open. He had (and still has though it’s lesser now) an intense aura. Used to strut around the locker room area with a Don’t mess with me demeanor. Game face was always on. Looked like he was always ready for a battle. Super intense. Just wasn’t the type of superstar like an Edberg or Goran or Rafter who you could just approach and knock off a quick Biofile with. There definitely was a kind of “me against the world” dynamic about Hewitt from the very beginning. I respect it and still like him, even if we never do a Biofile. Some people like Rios, Hewitt, Albert Belle, John Tortorella, etc are just not Biofilable.

  • Michael · September 9, 2012 at 3:41 am

    “Tomic didn’t want to practice with Hewitt that time at Wimbledon about three years ago, said he wasn’t good enough.”

    I know that is the rumor but has that ever been confirmed directly, as in talking to either player directly, because it sounds preposterous on its face.

  • Scoop Malinowski · September 9, 2012 at 12:08 pm

    It happened Michael, wasn’t there but read enough about it to conclude it happened.

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