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Ljubicic backs off his anti-Roddick rant
August 31, 2003
AFP - Aug 31, 2:34 am EDT
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NEW YORK (AFP) - Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic backed off his rant against the crowd-baiting antics of Andy Roddick here at the US Open after a pair of conversations with the fourth-seeded American.
"For sure I would take everything back," Ljubicic said Saturday. "I don't think I said something bad about Andy as a person. I didn't say he was ugly."
Ljubicic said Roddick's behavoir was unsportsmanlike, intimidated linesmen and umpires into seeing calls his way, that no players like him and that his seeding is aided by playing most of his events on US soil.
"Every single player said to me, 'Good luck. Kick his ass,'" Ljubicic said after losing their third-round match early Saturday morning. "I don't like him. Nobody in the locker room likes his acting on the court."
That post-match tirade sparked a late-night telephone call from Roddick seeking an explanation.
"I was surprised by Andy's call. It was pretty late," Ljubicic said. "It was a long talk. He wanted to hear what it was all about. He thought I had some problem with him personally. We're OK. Everything ended pretty normal.
"As I was surprised by his phone call, he was surprised by the things he thought I said. He was not angry with me. For sure I have nothing against Andy as a person. I hope he's going all the way. He's playing great."
Ljubicic said he was not apologizing, saying that Roddick said he had nothing to apologize for.
"Why should I apologize? I'm not going to apologize to anyone," Ljubicic said. "The way he acts on the court doesn't show respect for opponents. I don't like his antics on the court. I talked to some players about it.
"If I said nobody (likes him), I made a mistake."
Ljubicic said Roddick told him, "If you really don't feel anything bad about me, why should you apologize?" But Ljubicic admitted his words overshadowed their four-set match, which he lost after a controversial tie-break line call.
"That's maybe the only thing I can apologize to Andy about, that we're not talking about a great match."
Roddick, in a statement, said he had put the matter behind him.
"I had a good conversation with Ivan," Roddick said. "I think we both had the chance to clear the air and I know last night's incident is behind us."
Both Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan and Australia's Lleyton Hewitt backed Roddick after the criticism by Ljubicic.
"Andy seems fine with me," Hewitt said. "I've never had a problem with him. He hangs around with most of the young American guys anyway. I don't know him that well. I've never had a problem with anything he's done on the court."
"Andy is my great good friend," Paradorn said. "He's all right. Most of the people like him."
Updated on Sunday, Aug 31, 2003
August 31, 2003
AFP - Aug 31, 2:34 am EDT
More Photos
NEW YORK (AFP) - Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic backed off his rant against the crowd-baiting antics of Andy Roddick here at the US Open after a pair of conversations with the fourth-seeded American.
"For sure I would take everything back," Ljubicic said Saturday. "I don't think I said something bad about Andy as a person. I didn't say he was ugly."
Ljubicic said Roddick's behavoir was unsportsmanlike, intimidated linesmen and umpires into seeing calls his way, that no players like him and that his seeding is aided by playing most of his events on US soil.
"Every single player said to me, 'Good luck. Kick his ass,'" Ljubicic said after losing their third-round match early Saturday morning. "I don't like him. Nobody in the locker room likes his acting on the court."
That post-match tirade sparked a late-night telephone call from Roddick seeking an explanation.
"I was surprised by Andy's call. It was pretty late," Ljubicic said. "It was a long talk. He wanted to hear what it was all about. He thought I had some problem with him personally. We're OK. Everything ended pretty normal.
"As I was surprised by his phone call, he was surprised by the things he thought I said. He was not angry with me. For sure I have nothing against Andy as a person. I hope he's going all the way. He's playing great."
Ljubicic said he was not apologizing, saying that Roddick said he had nothing to apologize for.
"Why should I apologize? I'm not going to apologize to anyone," Ljubicic said. "The way he acts on the court doesn't show respect for opponents. I don't like his antics on the court. I talked to some players about it.
"If I said nobody (likes him), I made a mistake."
Ljubicic said Roddick told him, "If you really don't feel anything bad about me, why should you apologize?" But Ljubicic admitted his words overshadowed their four-set match, which he lost after a controversial tie-break line call.
"That's maybe the only thing I can apologize to Andy about, that we're not talking about a great match."
Roddick, in a statement, said he had put the matter behind him.
"I had a good conversation with Ivan," Roddick said. "I think we both had the chance to clear the air and I know last night's incident is behind us."
Both Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan and Australia's Lleyton Hewitt backed Roddick after the criticism by Ljubicic.
"Andy seems fine with me," Hewitt said. "I've never had a problem with him. He hangs around with most of the young American guys anyway. I don't know him that well. I've never had a problem with anything he's done on the court."
"Andy is my great good friend," Paradorn said. "He's all right. Most of the people like him."
Updated on Sunday, Aug 31, 2003
