Moose Malloy
G.O.A.T.
Wow, I'm impressed. Can't imagine anyone of his ranking/accomplishments would ever even consider doing this:
The Delray Beach draw has grown even deeper with the addition of another former World No. 1. Third-ranked Andy Roddick, who was bounced out of the Australian Open in the fourth round by Cyprus sensation Marcos Baghdatis will try to bounce back this weekend when he competes in the qualifying draw for the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships.
The tournament — which already features former No. 1 Andre Agassi, James Blake, Robby Ginepri, Tommy Haas, defending champion Xavier Malisse and Mardy Fish in its main draw — did not have a wild card available for Roddick, so he will play qualifying this weekend to earn a spot in the main draw.
"I spoke to Andy and he requested a wild card and he understands that I didnt have one to give," said tournament director Mark Baron, who gave Roddick a wild card into his first ATP tournament in 2000 and one in 2001 as well. "He is playing the qualies because he wants match play, it's his hometown and it works for him."
Delray Beach officials awarded their three wild cards to Agassi, Fish and Sargis Sargsian, who announced his retirement from tournament tennis last year, but is returning to play the ITC.
The tournament begins on Monday at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center in Delray Beach, Florida. The 2003 U.S. Open champion will be the top seed in the Delray Beach ITC qualifying tournament, which will be contested tomorrow and Sunday. Saturday's rounds begin at 10 a.m., while Sunday's play begins at noon. Admission is free for both days of qualifying play.
It will be Roddick's fifth Delray Beach appearance. He reached the 2002 tournament final, falling to Davide Sanguinetti, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. He is 4-3 in singles play, and partnered with Jan-Michael Gambill in 2001 to win the doubles crown.
Roddick could play as many as two matches tomorrow, depending on the number of players who sign up to play in the 32-man qualifying draw. Entry deadline for qualifying is 9 p.m. tonight. If less than 32 players enter, he would receive a bye in the first round. A final match would come on Sunday at noon.
It will be Roddick's first qualifying appearance since the fall of 2000 when at age 18 he qualified for a Challenger in Austin, Texas, shortly after beating Ginepri to capture the U.S. Open junior title. Roddick went on to beat then 161st-ranked Michael Russell, 6-4, 6-4, to take the Austin title.
The last time a qualifier was seeded in a main draw of an ATP event came in May of 1995 when Frenchman Arnaud Boetsch was the No. 5 seed in Bologna.
Should Roddick qualify for the Delray Beach ITC main draw, he would be the top seed in the tournament (Agassi would be seeded second), and the highest qualifier ever seeded in an ATP event. Goran Ivanisevic currently holds that distinction.
The tournament's main draw will be held Sunday following qualifying rounds, which would ensure Roddick would not face a seed in the opening round. If tournament officials conducted the main draw before qualifying play was complete, Roddick could theoretically draw a seed. ATP rules state "The Tournament shall publicly make the singles draw no earlier than 12 noon Eastern Time, USA, on Friday prior to the Monday of the Tournament week and no later than 10 p.m. local time two (2) days before the first day's play, unless the Tournament receives prior written permission from the ATP."
http://www.sportsmediainc.com/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=14625&bannerregion=
The Delray Beach draw has grown even deeper with the addition of another former World No. 1. Third-ranked Andy Roddick, who was bounced out of the Australian Open in the fourth round by Cyprus sensation Marcos Baghdatis will try to bounce back this weekend when he competes in the qualifying draw for the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships.
The tournament — which already features former No. 1 Andre Agassi, James Blake, Robby Ginepri, Tommy Haas, defending champion Xavier Malisse and Mardy Fish in its main draw — did not have a wild card available for Roddick, so he will play qualifying this weekend to earn a spot in the main draw.
"I spoke to Andy and he requested a wild card and he understands that I didnt have one to give," said tournament director Mark Baron, who gave Roddick a wild card into his first ATP tournament in 2000 and one in 2001 as well. "He is playing the qualies because he wants match play, it's his hometown and it works for him."
Delray Beach officials awarded their three wild cards to Agassi, Fish and Sargis Sargsian, who announced his retirement from tournament tennis last year, but is returning to play the ITC.
The tournament begins on Monday at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center in Delray Beach, Florida. The 2003 U.S. Open champion will be the top seed in the Delray Beach ITC qualifying tournament, which will be contested tomorrow and Sunday. Saturday's rounds begin at 10 a.m., while Sunday's play begins at noon. Admission is free for both days of qualifying play.
It will be Roddick's fifth Delray Beach appearance. He reached the 2002 tournament final, falling to Davide Sanguinetti, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. He is 4-3 in singles play, and partnered with Jan-Michael Gambill in 2001 to win the doubles crown.
Roddick could play as many as two matches tomorrow, depending on the number of players who sign up to play in the 32-man qualifying draw. Entry deadline for qualifying is 9 p.m. tonight. If less than 32 players enter, he would receive a bye in the first round. A final match would come on Sunday at noon.
It will be Roddick's first qualifying appearance since the fall of 2000 when at age 18 he qualified for a Challenger in Austin, Texas, shortly after beating Ginepri to capture the U.S. Open junior title. Roddick went on to beat then 161st-ranked Michael Russell, 6-4, 6-4, to take the Austin title.
The last time a qualifier was seeded in a main draw of an ATP event came in May of 1995 when Frenchman Arnaud Boetsch was the No. 5 seed in Bologna.
Should Roddick qualify for the Delray Beach ITC main draw, he would be the top seed in the tournament (Agassi would be seeded second), and the highest qualifier ever seeded in an ATP event. Goran Ivanisevic currently holds that distinction.
The tournament's main draw will be held Sunday following qualifying rounds, which would ensure Roddick would not face a seed in the opening round. If tournament officials conducted the main draw before qualifying play was complete, Roddick could theoretically draw a seed. ATP rules state "The Tournament shall publicly make the singles draw no earlier than 12 noon Eastern Time, USA, on Friday prior to the Monday of the Tournament week and no later than 10 p.m. local time two (2) days before the first day's play, unless the Tournament receives prior written permission from the ATP."
http://www.sportsmediainc.com/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=14625&bannerregion=
