Novak quotes trouble

After helping Andy Roddick along with a fourth-set meltdown in the US Open quarter-final, the model of levity somehow had become a case of uptightness, moaning because Roddick had joshed Tuesday night about Djokovic8217;s penchant for calling trainers during matches.

With the microphone, Djokovic basked in his 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 5 win on 8220;his court8221; and 8220;his city, his favourite tournament,8221; then said, 8220;Obviously Andy was saying that I have 16 injuries last match; obviously I don8217;t, right?8221;

Boos boomed. 8220;I know they are already against me because they think I8217;m faking everything, so 8230;8221;

Boos cascaded. 8220;That8217;s not nice 8230;8221;

Boos persisted, subsided, then welled up again as Djokovic exited.

Here the 21-year-old Australian Open champion and outstanding No. 3 player had arranged a glam semi-final with Roger Federer, who had beaten Gilles Muller, 7-6 5, 6-4, 7-6 5. Here Djokovic had made the last four for an incredible sixth time in the last seven Grand Slam tournaments. Yet here somehow he8217;d wound up with precisely the kind of reception that can hurt a generally affable soul such as his.

By the end of his news conference an hour later, he had apologised twice, noted extreme pressure of recent days: 8220;This is exactly the situation I don8217;t want to be in. You know, fighting with people, fighting with the press. This is absolutely not me.8221;

The theme of Djokovic-with-ailments long has simmered on the tour with a fresh boil here in Flushing Meadow. In a fourth-round, five-set win over Tommy Robredo of Spain, Djokovic called for the trainer and mentioned an upset stomach to complement ankle and hip injuries.

Robredo intended no humour when he said he found Djokovic8217;s injuries untrustworthy, but Roddick employed his repertoire of sarcasm and irony when he listed Djokovic8217;s maladies as 8220;a back and a hip,8221; 8220;a cramp,8221; 8220;bird flu,8221; 8220;anthrax,8221; 8220;SARS8221; and 8220;a common cough and cold.8221;

Djokovic8217;s displeasure with this comedy looked evident in the frostiness in his half of the handshake after Roddick8217;s last forehand return had screamed long to close the match.

Excruciating double faults

Roddick had just served for the fourth set at 5-4 and banged in opening serves of 142 and 143 mph for a 30-love lead as the audience readied for a fifth. Then he8217;d committed two excruciating double faults and watched a gorgeous Djokovic backhand topspin lob sail over his head and plunk down good on break point.

Come the tiebreaker, which Djokovic played masterfully, Roddick wrecked a 15-shot rally at 5-5 with one of the flimsiest netted backhand drop shots the crowd had ever seen judging by its groans and wails.

Roddick chalked up the double faults to aggression and professed to lack much regret after a heady tournament following a downcast summer.

Roddick exited hastily, and the two seemed to have reached some sort of detente afterward but wouldn8217;t elaborate. In one vein, Roddick said, 8220;I figure if you8217;re going to joke and imitate other people and do the whole deal, then you should take it. Listen, if someone makes fun of me. I8217;m most likely going to laugh.8221;

And in the apology vein, Djokovic cited 8220;a clear misunderstanding8221; and said, 8220;If I exaggerated on the court today and I made a mistake saying that in front of 20,000 people, you know, in his city and his favourite tournament, OK, I do apologise.8221;