Flushing Meadows - (Grand Slam Mess): US Tennis number three seed Andy Roddick hit back at Australian Men's Open slurs that he has become a 'sub-prime liability' to his financial sponsors American Excess.
The player said Roger Federer's recent remarks stung him deeply in the pocket and have totally hexed his internet poker luck since his exit from the Australian tournament.
A string of heavy losses both on the courts as well as on the gaming tables have seen Roddick falter from a once cocky confidence that initially impressed backers to keep bankrolling the enigmatic ginger-topped little dynamo.
Last year professional make-over consultants told Roddick to drop wearing his signature baseball cap and alter his on-court body language after reviewing hundred of hours tennis footage that focused on the player's constant twitching, clothing adjusting and general jumopiness,
Roddick rejected their advice and dumped other advisers including a string of coaches.
Since then his luck both on and off the court has gone steadily downhill, resulting in the recent forth round send off at the Melbourne tournament.
"Andy is particularly pissed at Federer's comments to take up professional shove ha'penny," his PR source said today.
