GAMESMANSHIP?: After dropping a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 decision to Tomas Berdych in Shanghai, Marat Safin refused to shake the Czech’s hand, and later complained about what he deemed an unnecessary injury time-out that Berdych took in the second set. Said the Russian, “Grow up a little bit — 26 years old [actually, Berdych is only 24], just deal with that. If you’re losing, just be a man, be a man and lose as a man. Don’t pretend that you’re injured and then you start running around and start to hit winners and then all of a sudden you pull the hands up in the air after winning the match.”
THE WALKING WOUNDED: U.S. Open titlist Juan Martin Del Potro joined the injury parade when, trailing Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 2-1, the Argentine pulled out with a wrist injury. “I’m a little sorry,” said Del Potro. “It’s a big tournament here in Shanghai — very important for me. But if I want to have a good finish this season, I have to recover, go home to be in good shape for the last tournaments.”
YOU CAN BAKE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO: Tamira Paszek, Alexandra Dulgheru, Liga Dekmeijere and Vladimira Uhlirova took a break from the WTA’s Linz tournament to make Linzer Torte — the world’s oldest cake, first made in 1696.
YANINA THE VAMPIRESS: When she’s not on the court, U.S. Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer has her nose in the Twilight books — the series of best-selling vampire-romance novels. Said the Belgian, “I got the first one and finished in like two days. Then it took me two or three days to get through the second one, and now I’m about halfway through the third one.”
RAFA’S MUSICAL ROOTS: Reports the Guardian’s Tom Service, Majorcan Rafael Nadal‘s grandfather was once the conductor of the local band in Nadal’s hometown of Manacor.
HEADLINES
Chariots of Tired
THE NUMBERS
8: Months Czech journeyman Ivo Minar was banned for on Wednesday after testing positive for the substance methylhexanamine following a Davis Cup match against Argentina in July. The 25-year-old blamed the result on a food supplement, but the ITF will erase Minar’s ’09 results from tournaments in Stuttgart, Hamburg and Gstaad.
QUOTEBOOK
“The players now are more united than ever.” — ATP Layer Council rep Novak Djokovic
“It’s the same as Formula 1. They have the best cars in the world, but at the same time these cars are broken more than your car. That’s the reason, because the car is always at the limit.” – Rafael Nadal on the mounting injuries on the ATP Tour
