Memorable moments, tweets, and quotes from the Sony Open

This Sony Open won’t be immortalized in the history books; not with the absences of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal plus a whole host of withdrawals and retirements. Still, it gave us plenty of memorable moments; some bad, some good, some hilarious, and some all of the above.

Benoit Paire vs. Michael Llodra. They almost came to blows during the first changeover and it mostly went downhill from there. Here is a loose translation of what transpired in their first-round match.

Thomaz Bellucci vs. Jerzy Janowicz. This highlight doesn’t show all of the Janowicz incidents (largely influenced by the Brazilian crowd), but it gives a great idea of the atmosphere.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlAvzDZHnCg]

Tommy Haas plants a kiss on his daughter after she watched him beat Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round.

Haas, 34 going on 35, beats world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. In the words of Haas, “It’s just one of those days in sports….”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euYuCTrTgrQ]

ESPN showed some love to tennis during the second week of the tournament. In fact, Agniezska Radwanska’s incredible shot even made No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays of the day.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRHZDd-gf9c]

David Ferrer challenges in the middle of a rally on his own championship point. Murray’s shot clips the back of the line.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDnQG62f-XU]

Ivo Karlovic wasn’t too pleased when CBS switched to Michigan-Florida at the start of the third-set tiebreaker between Murray and Ferrer:

Karlovic wasn’t happy about the playing conditions, either:

You can be sure which side of the Paire-Llodra story Stanislas Wawrinka got:

Jarkko Nieminen after coming back from a set and two breaks down against David Nalbandian:

Ryan Harrison’s tweet about Michigan (his pick to in it all) is pretty funny in retrospect. Needless to say, this was tweeted before the Wolverines’ win over Kansas.

Probably not the right time to go out to dinner, Brad Gilbert:

Nicolas Almagro after watching Ferrer’s heartbreaking loss to Murray in the final:

Andy Roddick has seen it all:

Victoria Azarenka, who did not withdraw until after the draw was already made:
“It was really obvious what the decision was couple days ago already.”

Serena Williams, after her comeback win over Dominika Cibulkova, when asked if there are “two Serenas”:
“Yeah, I’m talking to myself inside and she’s talking back and giving me lip.  I give her a little attitude, and then I tell her she sucks and she tells me to shut up.  We get into it a little bit. Then we get along.”

James Blake, after destroying Julien Benneteau, when asked about the last time he played so well:
“I’d say two nights ago.”

Haas, after his win over Dolgopolov, when asked what it means to be playing so well at this point in his career:
“Somehow I just kept going. If you believe and you work hard, there are still a lot of things you can do.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pDd4iSdAZ8]

Djokovic after his loss to Haas:
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s definitely the worst match I have played in a long time.”

Ferrer, when asked about his championship point:
“I don’t want to think nothing.  I chose my decision in that moment.  It’s a bad moment now.  I don’t want to think anymore about that.  I want to forget, the more faster as possible.”