[Sjengster]

Just thought that, being fairly new to this site, it was about time I posted the obligatory controversial thread that went against most people's opinions, so here it is: I quite like Greg Rusedski.

I await your brickbats.

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

A friend of mine comes to the Masters series in Canada with me each year (well, this is fairly new - I've only been twice, she has been three times - but it is now our annual event). Onward -

The first time we went to Montreal - Greg's birthplace if I'm not mistaken - was 2001.

She carried on for sometime about her plans of making a large sign that boldly read:

Greg Rusedski: Making Canada Proud Since 1995

I found this to be very amusing, but when it occured to me that she might actually do it, I had to pull the plug on the idea. Seeing somebody else with that sign would have made me crack up the entire match, but I refused to sit beside the person responsible for it.

Frankly, I'm indifferent to Greg. His decisions, results etc. bear little meaning to me, aside from the obvious fact that he is a player on the ATP circuit that is worth paying attention to when he is healthy and lurking in the draw.

I just wanted to share that little story above, and hadn't had the opportunity until now.

 

[Sjengster]

At first I didn't understand your reference to the sign, but then when I realised that you were from Toronto... ah, it all makes sense.

I can see why most Canadians wouldn't think Greg was the greatest thing since sliced bread what with his defection to the UK and all (when he played Todd Martin in Toronto last year there was suddenly an awful lot of spontaneous crowd support for Todd), and I can't say myself that I'm a terrific admirer of him, but I don't think he deserves all the condemnation he got from that Sampras debacle last year.

When you consider that Sampras played pretty terribly in that match with Greg and only just scraped through (at one stage he tried to slam down an overhead with a huge yell and dumped it right in the net), it was a reasonable statement even if it did smack of sour grapes.

Now we have to put up with not only the British media as well as American taking pot-shots at Rusedski, but Pete fans turning up on some of Greg's websites to leave sarcastic comments. I should imagine Rusedski's name is mud in the US by now.

Just wanted to get this off my chest, I'm not setting out to pick a fight or anything.

 

[Goonergal]

I'm a fan of Greg for a coupla of years now Since the dodgy Nike Bandana days @ Wimby

 

[Goonergal]

it was a reasonable statement even if it did smack of sour grapes.

Now we have to put up with not only the British media as well as American taking pot-shots at Rusedski, but Pete fans turning up on some of Greg's websites to leave sarcastic comments. I should imagine Rusedski's name is mud in the US by now.

Yeah it's true. I think even if the statement that he made was puerly bourne out of frustration he was saying what a lot of people thought anyway IMHO. But yeah people aren't gonna let him forget that statement but what's done is done.

 

[Lindsayfan]

i like him cos my friend is from his fanclub and she told me that he's very nice and kind to his fans.every year he gave them autographed shirts,cards,gifts..i think he's one of the few players who is always in contact with his fanclub.i really appreciate this kind of things!

 

[Sjengster]

That's the weird thing about Rusedski - he has this perpetual inane grin on his face and a sense of cheeriness, yet he also has a bitter and determined side that shows itself in pressure matches. He's always been one of those all-or-nothing players though, unlike Henman who tries to maintain the same calmness throughout a match, and he certainly has his highs and lows.

I definitely think nerves have afflicted him in two key matches - that infamous Davis Cup decider against Johansson when at 1 set all, he led 5-2 in the third and lost 5 games in a row, and the equally notorious Wimbledon match against Malisse which he should have finished off in 4 sets, and ended up knocking an easy volley into the net to lose serve in the decider.

The fact that he'd played so brilliantly in sweeping aside Roddick shows how well he does when he's either the underdog or expected to be in a really tough encounter, but when he meets people he's expected to beat then the pressure gets to him - how else can you beat Safin in the first round of Cincinnati, then lose second round to Robredo?

 

[duck]

Have you read Pat Cash's comments on him in his autobio? He doesn't paint him in the rosiest of lights but Cash's own persona in the book is not the most appealing either imo.

 

[Dina]

Cash was bitter over not getting paid and his own self publicity