Roger Federer says Novak Djokovic is a quitter and a whuss — to paraphrase: “He’s not a guy who’s never given up before; it’s disappointing,” Federer said of Djokovic throwing in the towel in the fourth set against Andy Roddick. “I’ve only done it once in my career. Andy Roddick totally deserved to win that match…I’m almost in favor of saying, ‘You know what, if you’re not fit enough, just get out of here.’ If Novak were up two sets to love, I don’t think he would have retired 4-0 down in the fourth.” Ouch!…

“I had cramping and soreness in the whole body,” Djokovic told reporters. “I think the people could see that I was struggling with movement. I couldn’t serve the way I served in the first two sets. That third set I just started dropping 20, 30 kilometers per hour first serve. Obviously it was much easier for him to return. He saw that longer rallies are not comfortable for me at that point, so he was using it wisely. Really unfortunate way to end my Australian Open 2009. I really tried my best, but sometimes you can’t fight against your own body.”

Murray said the loss could not be attributed to any mounting pressure, but to the play of Verdasco, who not only showed his powerful repertoire of serving and crunching forehands, but a deft touch with dropshots, slices and lobs to keep the Brit on the move.

“She arrived out here broken and penniless and Johnny was the one who took the punt on Jelena,” family friend Glen Schirmer, who worked as Dokic’s dietitian at Giannarelli’s request, told the newspaper. “At his own expense he housed, fed and trained both her and her boyfriend for months. He said he knew that one day he’d get the money back from her. He liked her and he thought she deserved a second shot at it. He felt really sorry for her and they became very, very close. She was trying to get a start again but nobody wanted to touch her, so Johnny took her on.” — One of life’s lessons Jelena, never stiff the mob…

A man naked from the waist down danced across the court during the Williams’ sisters doubles match — presumably coming straight from the Beer Garden. Good effort at the “Happy Slam”…

Two rounds down and five to go at the Australian Open. Sean Randall breaks down what ahead in the season’s first Grand Slam.

Blake won in straight sets, but his opponent was flummoxed by a loud courtside fan who loudly cheered for Chaunac during and between points. Chaunac eventually snapped, dropped some f-bombs on the fan and waited for security to escort him out.

President Jimmy Carter was such a micro-manager in the White House that he reportedly personally OKed or nayed all requests to use the White House tennis courts, but was also so passionate that he phoned 14-year-old newcomer Tracy Austin after he watched her beat Virgina Ruzici on television in the fourth round of the 1977 US Open to congratulate her.

No. 2-seeded Belasrussian Victoria Azarenka won her first tour title in her fifth career title Saturday at Brisbane, easily defeating No. 3 seed Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-1.
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“It was a tighter match than the score showed,” offered the runner-up Bartoli, who has now lost her last four finals. “All the games were very tight, going to [...]

Nothing spells the Holidays quite like two-plus weeks of good, hardcore vacationing.