Roddick comments fuel Djokovic

NEW YORK -- With the match over, gamesmanship moved to the fore.

Novak Djokovic, last year's center-court jester and YouTube impressionist, pointed to his heart. Eight times he poked himself in the chest, and then, turning toward his family, motioned down to Arthur Ashe Stadium's blue court, as if to say it was his. As per tradition, USA television reporter Michael Barkann stood by, ready to conduct an on-court interview, which is piped into the sound system and provides departing fans with a surround-sound segue out. Asked what it was like to defeat American Andy Roddick, a former King of Queens, the beau of Brooklyn Decker and frequent Manhattan visitor, on his court in his favorite tourney, Djokovic moved to the net and returned the offering. "Andy was saying I have 16 injuries after last match," said Djokovic, who beat Roddick 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5), referring to Roddick's comments two nights earlier questioning his use of medical timeouts and trainer allotments. "Obviously, I don't, right?"

Offered a mulligan and informed that Roddick may have been kidding, Djokovic continued, "Like it or not, it's like that."

Given one more chance to remove the chance of a ripple effect regarding the growing Bronx cheers, Djokovic gunned past the yield sign and drove home his point: "I know they're already against me because they think I'm faking it."

With that, the tide turned, and the waves of genuine boos crashed down from the stadium's upper reaches and flooded the court. "That's not nice to say it in front of this crowd," he said.

To listen to Roddick tell it before the match, he wanted to see the 21-year-old Serbian, who does a painstakingly detailed impression of Roddick replete with his serial-shirt adjustments and between-the-legs ball bounce, draw less attention to his ailments. After his fourth-round win over Fernando Gonzalez, Roddick worked on his backhand when Djokovic was mentioned. Knowing that Djokovic, who does not ascribe to the Belichick Doctrine of keeping injuries quiet, had noted his next opponent would be healthier than him, Roddick served out his thoughts. For each Djokovic injury that a reporter in the post-match press conference mentioned, be it his rolled ankle, upset stomach or hobbled hip, Roddick ripped a riposte, adding on to a litany of medical conditions ("cramp", "bird flu", "anthrax", "SARS", "common cough and cold") that would make the ATP tour's health insurance providers blush. To close, Roddick said, "He's either quick to call a trainer or he's the most courageous guy of all time. I think it's up for you guys to decide."

Roddick won that press conference, but he lost the first two sets of Thursday's match because it fueled Djokovic. Looking the picture of health, last year's U.S. Open finalist painted winners down the lines and lofted momentum changers over Roddick's black-hatted head. Armed with a two-handed backhand, his weapon of choice to serve as a silencer, he operated with an assassin's detachment, breaking Roddick's previously unbreakable serve three times in the opening set. "By the time I got my legs under me he was on a bit of a roll," Roddick said.

Appearing ready to collapse like a three-legged chair in straight sets, Roddick steadied himself to take back the third with Djokovic increasingly looking to his family in their box and beginning to show cracks in his steely appearance. Roddick closed out the set by hammering a 137 mph laser and gained a standing ovation from the crowd. "It's a pleasure to play in front of that stadium," Djokovic said. "A lot of entertainment and a lot of fun. Makes emotions."

It also drove him crazy at times. By the seventh game of the fourth set, he had already stared twice into the stands at fans who had inexcusably cheered out loud during his serve. After Roddick broke him for that point, Djokovic dropped his veneer of coolness and shouted, "Shut up! (Expletive)!". On the next point, he petitioned the chair umpire to quiet the crowd by putting his right index finger over his lips.

Able to calm himself, he finished the fourth and final set when Roddick double-faulted twice and Djokovic moved in for the kill. Thereafter, his approval ratings began to drown.

In the year since his YouTube performance -- which lasts all of four minutes -- Djokovic's performance on tour ensured that his locker room laughs would not be his 15 minutes of fame. Dismissed by some critics as foolish for his antics, he did not disappear from the stage, instead rising to potential foil status in the on-going Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer saga. He finished second in Flushing last September to Federer in a straight-sets loss, but rebounded in Australia to flip the script on The Fed, ending his streak of reaching 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals in Melbourne. Next, he won the Australian Open title against unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for his first Grand Slam title. Next, he reached the semifinals before losing to The Man of Clay, Nadal, at Roland Garros. At Wimbledon, he fell in the second round to Marat Safin. All that success also brought greater scrutiny. "I always try to be nice to everybody," he said afterward. "I would never disrespect anybody."

Down in the inner bowels of Ashe, Roddick tried to soothe things over. "It was completely meant in jest," Roddick said of his earlier comments. "In Novak's case, if you're going to dish out all the stuff, then be able to take it with a smile."

After Roddick returned to the locker room, he spoke with Djokovic, and the world's No. 3 player changed more than his shirt before entering his press conference. "[Andy] made a joke and it was a misunderstanding," Djokovic said. "Maybe I exaggerated and acted bad in that moment. I apologize if I reacted like that, but this was impulsive."

Still maturing in the spotlight, Djokovic moves on to face Federer next. When asked to handicap that match, Roddick said, "I'm not touching that." With that closing, he exited, allowing Djokovic to enjoy the fore.