Roddick Angry with ATP over Prize Money Dispute

TheOneHander · May 16, 2011

From Tennis.com

Andy Roddick is furious with ATP Tour officials after he and Mardy Fish were only given semifinalists' prize money after they pulled out of the Rome doubles final against fellow Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey due to a shoulder injury to Roddick.

The Times of London reported that the ATP docked Roddick and Fish $31,400 after they pulled out of the final at 5 PM so could catch a flight to Dusseldorf for World Team Cup, where the organisers were allegedly threatening sanctions if they did not turn up in time to play.

"We’re going to have to beg for the money we’ve earned,” Roddick said. "Why should Mardy be punished when I can’t play? Mardy has played the [semifinal] match, he won the match, he earned the money, you can’t take away something he has already done. This is embarrassing for the Tour. The ATP people said they could not make a unilateral decision so I either take a chance with the appeal process or I played with a shoulder that didn’t give us much chance of winning and had a risk for the future. I would have had to play the full match. I asked if I played a point and then withdrew what would happen and they said the same thing, so it would have been an hour mockery as opposed to a five-minute mockery. The ATP stands for Association of Tennis Professionals; it should be the Association of Tie People."

The ATP put the rule in place to deter players from abandoning doubles matches without good cause.

ollinger · May 16, 2011

The penalty was too lenient. This is show biz, Andy. Tournaments sell tickets to customers who expect to see a good product. If you enter a tournament, you, as a professional, are expected to act in good faith and complete your obligation to the tournament. They should be pleased they didn't receive a suspension (not likely of course, as the players run the sport).

cknobman · May 16, 2011

Screw you Andy.

Sorry to hear about Andy screwing you Mardy.

glazkovss · May 16, 2011

Since they won their match it is unfair to Rod/Fish to pay them as much as to losing semifinalsits. On the other hand it is unfair to Rome organizers and fans to w/o from the final and fly away to particapate in another tournament.

TMF · May 16, 2011

There's on old saying "you don't work you don't eat".

Roddick and Fish didn't complete all the matches, so no finalist prize for them. Tournament lost money too.

Speranza · May 16, 2011

Watson: Would somebody be so kind as to confirm or deny the following, just so that I can get this clear;

IF Roddick wasn't injured, and they would have played as expected, regardless of who went on to win... Would that have meant them arriving late in Dusseldorf?

Sid_Vicious · May 16, 2011

Roddick is right.

TMF · May 16, 2011

Sid_Vicious said:
Roddick is right.

Why?

Without a final, the tournament got hit too, not to mention some angry fans. To be fair, dock Fish for half of the $31,400 b/c he chose to play. Roddick gets what he deserve b/c his injury is his problem, not the director's fault. It's not fair for one side takes all the losses.

jdubbs · May 16, 2011

The ATP needed to step in. If he was being threatened by the World Team Cup officials, he should have had someone from the ATP call them and tell them to mellow out.

This is office politics, and Andy needs to learn how to play them instead of unilaterally making a decision for everybody.

sureshs · May 16, 2011

Clearly the fault of the governing bodies to allow two tournaments to overlap at the same time.

Moose Malloy · May 16, 2011

deleted post

migi · May 16, 2011

more info

http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/05/15/roddick-leaves-roma-in-a-snit/

jamesblakefan#1 · May 16, 2011

For Fish money may be a bigger deal, but for Roddick honestly it's hard to feel sympathy. I'm sure the guy makes millions from endorsements and such. It's hard to know who's right, but from reading the letter of the law it seems pretty clear that this is protocol if you pull out of the match w/ injury in this sort of circumstance.

But yeah, Roddick's turning into the grumpy old man of the ATP tour.

decades · May 16, 2011

TheOneHander said:
From Tennis.com

Andy Roddick is furious with ATP Tour officials after he and Mardy Fish were only given semifinalists' prize money after they pulled out of the Rome doubles final against fellow Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey due to a shoulder injury to Roddick.

The Times of London reported that the ATP docked Roddick and Fish $31,400 after they pulled out of the final at 5 PM so could catch a flight to Dusseldorf for World Team Cup, where the organisers were allegedly threatening sanctions if they did not turn up in time to play.

"We’re going to have to beg for the money we’ve earned,” Roddick said. "Why should Mardy be punished when I can’t play? Mardy has played the [semifinal] match, he won the match, he earned the money, you can’t take away something he has already done. This is embarrassing for the Tour. The ATP people said they could not make a unilateral decision so I either take a chance with the appeal process or I played with a shoulder that didn’t give us much chance of winning and had a risk for the future. I would have had to play the full match. I asked if I played a point and then withdrew what would happen and they said the same thing, so it would have been an hour mockery as opposed to a five-minute mockery. The ATP stands for Association of Tennis Professionals; it should be the Association of Tie People."

The ATP put the rule in place to deter players from abandoning doubles matches without good cause.

Since Roddick isn't making news with his tennis game he is making news by being a first class jerk.

TMF · May 16, 2011

If Roddick continue to be grumpy, his wife may not handle it anymore and could leave him.

woodrow1029 · May 16, 2011

It's in the rules. It was put in there about 6 years ago to prevent guys from pulling out of doubles early claiming injury to make sure that they make it to the next tournament in time. It was more intended for those that are playing qualifying of the next tournament, but in order to cut down on the gray area, they did it across the board. If you pull out prior to or during a doubles match, you get prize money for the previous round.

In 2004 (I think), I was chairing a doubles final in Champaign. Gimelstob wanted to retire in the second set with an injury. They were down a set and at least a break. He said he wanted to retire. The players had shaken hands. I called the supervisor to let him know of the retirement. He came to the court and told them of the rule. Gimelstob felt so badly for his partner because he just screwed him out of a decent amount of money. Gimelstob begged the supervisor to let them finish the match. I think it was only 2 games. The supervisor reluctantly said ok. Gimelstob and his partner went back on the court and tanked the next 2 games and the other team still won. Gimelstob was legitimately injured and had he known that rule, he would have continued without saying anything.

HunterST · May 16, 2011

Wait, did Roddick pull out because of an injury or because he wanted to catch a flight to another tournament?

If a player is legitimately injured, I don't think they should be docked their pay. If they just have something to do that they think is more important, they shouldn't get the money.

TMF · May 16, 2011

I bet Roddick will NEVER play this event again in the future.

I wonder if the WS got full paid for not showing up in the semifinal back in 2001 IW.

decades · May 16, 2011

TMF said:
I bet Roddick will NEVER play this event again in the future.

I wonder if the WS got full paid for not showing up in the semifinal back in 2001 IW.

wow that will be a HUGE loss for Italian tennis fans. A 30 year old American will not perform in front of them.

azn_lefty_roddick_jr · May 16, 2011

TheOneHander said:
From Tennis.com

Andy Roddick is furious with ATP Tour officials after he and Mardy Fish were only given semifinalists' prize money after they pulled out of the Rome doubles final against fellow Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey due to a shoulder injury to Roddick.

The Times of London reported that the ATP docked Roddick and Fish $31,400 after they pulled out of the final at 5 PM so could catch a flight to Dusseldorf for World Team Cup, where the organisers were allegedly threatening sanctions if they did not turn up in time to play.

"We’re going to have to beg for the money we’ve earned,” Roddick said. "Why should Mardy be punished when I can’t play? Mardy has played the [semifinal] match, he won the match, he earned the money, you can’t take away something he has already done. This is embarrassing for the Tour. The ATP people said they could not make a unilateral decision so I either take a chance with the appeal process or I played with a shoulder that didn’t give us much chance of winning and had a risk for the future. I would have had to play the full match. I asked if I played a point and then withdrew what would happen and they said the same thing, so it would have been an hour mockery as opposed to a five-minute mockery. The ATP stands for Association of Tennis Professionals; it should be the Association of Tie People."

The ATP put the rule in place to deter players from abandoning doubles matches without good cause.

Looks like from the bolded parts, Roddick was sticking up for Mardy because of something that was unfair... Nowhere in this report does it say anything about Andy wanting prize money and points for himself; he doesn't even play doubles on a regular basis anyway. He is making a stand on a decision that was unfair to the players, out of principle, and I wouldn't consider that stupid or being grumpy.

People are quick to put the blame on Andy whenever a rant with his name shows up... Some simple reading would tell you that he is not even concerned about what happens to him, but is instead speaking out on something that is unfair to his teammate.

woodrow1029 · May 16, 2011

HunterST said:
Wait, did Roddick pull out because of an injury or because he wanted to catch a flight to another tournament?

If a player is legitimately injured, I don't think they should be docked their pay. If they just have something to do that they think is more important, they shouldn't get the money.

He might have been legitimately injured. The problem was that guys were pulling out of doubles claiming an injury, then playing in qualies on Saturday at the next tournament. Anybody can go to the trainer and say their shoulder hurts and they need to pull out of their doubles match to rest it. That way by getting the trainer to sign off, you avoid getting fined.

The only way to avoid this is to make it across the board. You pull out of doubles, you get previous round prize money, and I believe ranking points too.

Manus Domini · May 16, 2011

Maybe dock it from Roddick, but don't punish Mardy...

Bud · May 16, 2011

Manus Domini said:
Maybe dock it from Roddick, but don't punish Mardy...

They enter as a team. If one goes down, the other follows. They know this before entering a doubles tournament.

If it's an ATP rule, then the case is closed.

woodrow1029 · May 16, 2011

Here's the rule from the ATP Rulebook.

3) Should a doubles match in an ATP World Tour event be uncontested or fail to be completed, the losing team shall only receive points and prize money from the previous round unless one of the following is applicable:

a) Neither player was in the singles main draw:

b) The withdrawing player is still in the singles competition and at the time of the medical examination is declared unfit to play in the singles of that event or, if no longer involved in the singles competition of that event, is forced to withdraw from the singles of the next tournament in which he is entered.

c) The retiring/withdrawing player had retired/withdrawn from his singles match, which was scheduled the same day; or, if the doubles match is scheduled for a following day the player is examined by the tournament doctor and is declared unfit to play.

TMF · May 16, 2011

Manus Domini said:
Maybe dock it from Roddick, but don't punish Mardy...

OTOH, roddick should give some of his prize money to fish.

HunterST · May 16, 2011

woodrow1029 said:
Here's the rule from the ATP Rulebook.

3) Should a doubles match in an ATP World Tour event be uncontested or fail to be completed, the losing team shall only receive points and prize money from the previous round unless one of the following is applicable:

a) Neither player was in the singles main draw:

b) The withdrawing player is still in the singles competition and at the time of the medical examination is declared unfit to play in the singles of that event or, if no longer involved in the singles competition of that event, is forced to withdraw from the singles of the next tournament in which he is entered.

c) The retiring/withdrawing player had retired/withdrawn from his singles match, which was scheduled the same day; or, if the doubles match is scheduled for a following day the player is examined by the tournament doctor and is declared unfit to play.

Sounds a lot more fair when you see the exceptions. Just too bad for the partner of the withdrawing player. Seems like this may encourage players to partner with doubles specalists.

jamesblakefan#1 · May 16, 2011

woodrow1029 said:
It's in the rules. It was put in there about 6 years ago to prevent guys from pulling out of doubles early claiming injury to make sure that they make it to the next tournament in time. It was more intended for those that are playing qualifying of the next tournament, but in order to cut down on the gray area, they did it across the board. If you pull out prior to or during a doubles match, you get prize money for the previous round.

In 2004 (I think), I was chairing a doubles final in Champaign. Gimelstob wanted to retire in the second set with an injury. They were down a set and at least a break. He said he wanted to retire. The players had shaken hands. I called the supervisor to let him know of the retirement. He came to the court and told them of the rule. Gimelstob felt so badly for his partner because he just screwed him out of a decent amount of money. Gimelstob begged the supervisor to let them finish the match. I think it was only 2 games. The supervisor reluctantly said ok. Gimelstob and his partner went back on the court and tanked the next 2 games and the other team still won. Gimelstob was legitimately injured and had he known that rule, he would have continued without saying anything.

Thanks for sharing that. The rules seem pretty clear cut. Roddick doesn't have much of a legit beef, if that's the way the rules have been for awhile now.

TMF · May 16, 2011

Actually, it’s Fish that should be upset, not Roddick. And I don’t see him complaining.

Roddick must have felt bad so he speak up.

PONG · May 16, 2011

I applaud ATP's decision. Roddick is just a pathetic injury faker anyway.

single_handed_champion · May 16, 2011

Never heard of this happening before. Maybe it is news due to it being a final?

nethawkwenatchee · May 16, 2011

Roddick and Fish Both make Millions of Dollars. I think they are just upset about loosing early in the singles event and then having to forfeit the doubles final. Roddick just needs to read the rules and move on.

jmverdugo · May 16, 2011

If the rule was there then they have to respect it, no matter what Roddicks says.

hoosierbr · May 16, 2011

Rules are rules. It might be an unfair and stupid one but surely after all these years on tour AR was aware of this.

AR has done a lot more complaining than playing tennis the last few years. It was already old. Now it's prehistoric.

tangerine · May 17, 2011

decades said:
Since Roddick isn't making news with his tennis game he is making news by being a first class jerk.

He's a first-class jerk for being angry that Fish was docked $$ because of an injury Roddick sustained?

Sid_Vicious said:
Roddick is right.

He almost always is. He has a strong sense of justice. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if he gave his SF winnings to Fish to help make up for ATP docking his finalist's paycheck.

azn_lefty_roddick_jr said:
People are quick to put the blame on Andy whenever a rant with his name shows up... Some simple reading would tell you that he is not even concerned about what happens to him, but is instead speaking out on something that is unfair to his teammate.

Making sense is not allowed on TW. Banned!

woodrow1029 · May 17, 2011

I would think that they would be more upset about the ranking points than the money.

sureshs · May 17, 2011

woodrow1029 said:
I would think that they would be more upset about the ranking points than the money.

Do singles players really care about doubles?

Devilito · May 17, 2011

It’s complicated. Tennis is an entertainment business. Did the ticket holders get refunded? Did the sponsors get money refunded? If they did then they shouldn’t be getting paid. If the ATP didn’t refund the money and just pocketed it anyway then it’s not fair and Fish / Roddick should get paid.

GRANITECHIEF · May 17, 2011

Injury or not, seems like they could have played the match (even if he had to tank it) and earned more than enough dough to charter a flight and still got the points.

ChipNCharge · May 17, 2011

nethawkwenatchee said:
Roddick and Fish Both make Millions of Dollars.

I doubt Mardy Fish makes "millions of dollars".

DRII · May 17, 2011

TMF said:
I bet Roddick will NEVER play this event again in the future.

I wonder if the WS got full paid for not showing up in the semifinal back in 2001 IW.

Out of the hundreds, if not thousands, of player withdrawls to choose from; why would you focus on Venus' withdrawl from Indian Wells in 2001???

Regardless if they got paid in full or not, that tournament lost hugely as a result of the hideous audience reaction the following day!

vandre · May 17, 2011

decades said:
wow that will be a HUGE loss for Italian tennis fans. A 30 year old American will not perform in front of them.

you left out "clay court wizard" and "the volleying genius"

DRII · May 17, 2011

azn_lefty_roddick_jr said:
Looks like from the bolded parts, Roddick was sticking up for Mardy because of something that was unfair... Nowhere in this report does it say anything about Andy wanting prize money and points for himself; he doesn't even play doubles on a regular basis anyway. He is making a stand on a decision that was unfair to the players, out of principle, and I wouldn't consider that stupid or being grumpy.

People are quick to put the blame on Andy whenever a rant with his name shows up... Some simple reading would tell you that he is not even concerned about what happens to him, but is instead speaking out on something that is unfair to his teammate.

Well, let him give some money to Fish then, if he is so concerned and conceding that its his fault in the first place.

Roddicks frat boy, spoiled, persona is getting and looking real old - just like his hair line!

ford oliver · May 17, 2011

ARod Withdraws From Nice

Andy Roddick withdrew from Nice today, citing a shoulder injury.

Praetorian · May 17, 2011

ford oliver said:
Andy Roddick withdrew from Nice today, citing a shoulder injury.

Let the conspiracy theories follow below........

Mainad · May 17, 2011

ford oliver said:
Andy Roddick withdrew from Nice today, citing a shoulder injury.

FO is also in doubt:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/17052011/58/french-open-roddick-doubtful-roland-garros.html

GRANITECHIEF · May 17, 2011

Does that mean he and Mardy get their prize money and doubles points since he pulled out of the subsequent tournament? HAHA that was probably worth more money than losing to Victor in his first match in Nice.

Roddick doubles ranking to surpass his singles ranking soon! Inside the top 100 already.

r2473 · May 17, 2011

TheOneHander said:
The Times of London reported that the ATP docked Roddick and Fish $31,400 after they pulled out of the final at 5 PM so could catch a flight to Dusseldorf for World Team Cup, where the organisers were allegedly threatening sanctions if they did not turn up in time to play.

It's pretty sad that the organizers of Rome and Dusseldorf and ATP top brass couldn't get together and come up with a solution instead of putting the players in a no-win situation.

It seems like this could have been worked out in some way

GRANITECHIEF · May 17, 2011

Here is a crazy thought, maybe Roddicks shoulder really is f'd up.

The Baseline · May 17, 2011

Roddick has been really angry lately. Heres Roddick in Madrid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSjHuN6xY5w&feature=related

monique s · May 17, 2011

HunterST said:
Wait, did Roddick pull out because of an injury or because he wanted to catch a flight to another tournament?

If a player is legitimately injured, I don't think they should be docked their pay. If they just have something to do that they think is more important, they shouldn't get the money.[/Q.

Roddick Angry with ATP over Prize Money Dispute

Professional

G.O.A.T.

Legend

Professional

Talk Tennis Guru

Hall of Fame

G.O.A.T.

Talk Tennis Guru

Hall of Fame

Bionic Poster

G.O.A.T.

Semi-Pro

G.O.A.T.

decades

Guest

Talk Tennis Guru

woodrow1029

Guest

Hall of Fame

Talk Tennis Guru

decades

Guest

Rookie

woodrow1029

Guest

Hall of Fame

Bionic Poster

woodrow1029

Guest

Talk Tennis Guru

Hall of Fame

G.O.A.T.

Talk Tennis Guru

Rookie

Professional

Professional

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Professional

woodrow1029

Guest

Bionic Poster

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Professional

G.O.A.T.

Hall of Fame

G.O.A.T.

Semi-Pro

Professional

Bionic Poster

Hall of Fame

G.O.A.T.

Hall of Fame

Professional

Rookie

Similar threads