Gimelstob Serves Up an Ace
Remember the name Justin Gimelstob.
He is the tennis player who, bad back and all, gave Andy Roddick a scare at the U.S. Open before losing in straight sets.
He is retiring after a couple more tournaments, then, I’m told, hoping to transition into a broadcasting role.
After his defeat, Gimelstob was handed the mike by the USA Network announcing team to interview Roddick, who is a longtime friend. The result was actually something special, a fresh and funny few minutes that revealed a sense of humor and a winning self-deprecation.
He could be the Gary McCord of the tennis circuit. McCord is the irreverent golf commentator who was famously expelled from the Master’s booth by the lords of that stodgy tounament for describing a particularly slick green as being "bikini waxed" and needing a "body bag" for a golfer whose shot sailed over the green into a tough spot.
justin commented:
Thank you so much for your positive thoughts, much appreciated, Justin Gimelstob
mayday commented:
Max Boot's US Open story in todays WSJ mentions the Gimelstob/Roddich match and how he was close enough to hear and see the two combatants joking around.