MERCEDES-BENZ INSIDE LOOK: LOST COOL, LOST MATCH RULINGS GET TO RODDICK.Byline: Aaron Levine Staff Writer When it was over, Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick (born August 30, 1982) is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is the top-ranked American player and fifth-ranked player in the world as of October 1, 2007. He finished sixth in the 2006 ATP Race. didn't admit it. He didn't say the demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. of yesteryear yes·ter·year n. 1. The year before the present year. 2. Time past; yore. yes had haunted him in a semifinal match against Jan-Michael Gambill at the Mercedes-Benz Cup at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . In fact, he disregarded the thought completely. But his body language already had said it all. After a couple of questionable calls in his 7-5, 6-3 loss to Gambill on Saturday, Roddick seemed to lose focus. Instead of hitting winners, he flailed his arms. Instead of rocketing aces up the middle, he pointed at line judges. And because part of the equation was an overruled call by the chair umpire, it was reminiscent of Roddick's late downfall in a five-set quarterfinal loss to Lleyton Hewitt at the U.S. Open last year. ``Nothing, just disagreement,'' Roddick said, when he was asked what had taken place with the chair umpire late in the first set against Gambill. ``I was definitely in control of the match. I was playing well.'' Roddick's demise began innocently. After half an hour of dominance, he had two set points on his own serve when a Gambill return hit the baseline. Roddick thought it was out, but it was called in and Gambill's hopes of winning the first set survived. ``I wasn't mad about that one. I wasn't sure about it. It could have been out, it could have been in,'' Roddick said. The disputable dis·put·a·ble adj. Open to dispute; debatable: disputable testimony. dis·put calls, though, began to snowball after that, and so did Roddick's composure. He dropped eight of the next nine points, losing his cool even more when a crosscourt cross·court adv. & adj. To or toward the other side of a playing court, especially a basketball or tennis court. shot by Gambill was ruled good. Roddick dropped his racket, shook his head and gestured two fingers to the chair, indicating his frustration over a second call. The clincher clinch·er n. 1. One that clinches, as: a. A nail, screw, or bolt for clinching. b. A tool for clinching nails, screws, or bolts. 2. came on a first serve by Roddick when he was down 6-5 in the first set. The ball was called in by the line judge but, in a scene similar to the overruled call late in the tight battle with Hewitt last year at Flushing Meadows, chair umpire Adao Chagas overruled it, calling it out. Roddick shouted ``Did you really just do that?'' to Chagas, then proceeded to lose the next three points to give the first set to Gambill. ``He thinks he can see a 130 (mph) serve, 100 percent, no doubt in his mind, to overrule The refusal by a judge to sustain an objection set forth by an attorney during a trial, such as an objection to a particular question posed to a witness. To make void, annul, supersede, or reject through a subsequent decision or action. ,'' Roddick said. ``I just question that.'' Rather than regroup re·group v. re·grouped, re·group·ing, re·groups v.tr. To arrange in a new grouping. v.intr. 1. To come back together in a tactical formation, as after a dispersal in a retreat. during the break between sets, Roddick continued to ridicule Chagas from his seat, then carried on the murmuring from 10 feet behind the baseline with his arms on his hips. ``Andy's pretty vocal out there either way,'' Gambill said. ``It's kind of hard to judge. Sometimes he gets irritated and he comes out and plays great. There were some real close calls. I did not feel they were that bad of calls. Calls like that happen, though. That's part of tennis.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Andy Roddick argues with the chair umpire Saturday during his straight-sets loss to Jan-Michael Gambill at UCLA. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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