Andy Roddick issues firm response after Andre Agassi questions Matteo Arnaldi withdrawal
Andre Agassi is drawing criticism from tennis fans following his outspoken remarks about Matteo Arnaldi’s French Open withdrawal.
The 25-year-old pulled out of his semi-final clash with close friend Flavio Cobolli on Friday evening due to a debilitating virus.
The Italian said, “I tried to see if I could get on court, but every time I get up, I feel dizzy. It was the right decision to take. I just know I can’t move, I can’t eat, and I can’t drink – there was no way I was able to play.”
Despite throwing up for much of Thursday night and not being able to take on liquids or food, Agassi made it clear Arnaldi – who had spent 19 hours and 42 minutes on court enroute to his last four run – should have at least given it a go.
He said on TNT Sports US, “I could have beat Arnaldi today, at 56 years old. If you don’t show up, you can’t win. It’s just disappointing. This tournament’s been full of so many surprises, this is not the kind of surprise that anybody wants to see.
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“He had two sets the last match, physically he would’ve had a chance to be at his best but obviously he’s dealing with something that better be unimaginable because it is a disappointment.”
Despite being a huge fan of the eight-time major winner, Andy Roddick had a different take on the Arnaldi situation.
The former US Open champion pointed out that something like this is unlikely to go away in a day or two; so even if he beat Cobolli, it may have still been an issue in the final against Alexander Zverev.
He said on the latest episode of Served, “I am not a doctor. I don’t know what happened. All I know is that if your body is run down, fatigued, extreme stress, what are you more susceptible to? Viruses, sickness.
“Is it just paying the bill, is it unlucky? All of it makes sense. You cannot have nothing in your system and not sleep and then expect to win. It’s not just about today.
“You can’t play for four or five hours if you can’t put any food in your body. It’s not normal. Think about when you’re sick and vomiting. You don’t feel great three days later and you’re not playing five set matches.”
Roddick went on to say how he was struck down by illness at the 2011 US Open and while he got past David Ferrer in four sets in the last 16, he had nothing left for his quarter-final drubbing against Rafael Nadal.
He added, “You have to pay the bill at some point, which is my point for Arnaldi. I get through Ferrer but since everything has been delayed, I had to play Rafa [Nadal] the next day. My body is dead. It was a beating.
“The point is… you can outrun it if it’s one match, maybe. If it’s two, high stakes… you can’t make your body do what it can’t do. “If anyone says, ‘Take the court’… no!”
Roddick is hopeful Arnaldi will make another Grand Slam semi-final but there is every chance Arnaldi, who was outside the top 100 before the French Open, won’t.
READ MORE: Roland Garros: John McEnroe questions Flavio Cobolli decision ahead of final
