tennis slash - The Unlucky Roger Federer (9)
Title: The Unlucky Roger Federer (9)
Author: Kris S.
Fandom: Tennis RPS
Pairing: Roger Federer/Andy Roddick
Other Characters: Mirka Vavrinec, Marat Safin
Disclaimer: This definitely did not happen.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU. What if Roger Federer wasn't the great champion? What if his career was plagued by injuries, bad luck and constantly losing to a certain American?
Author's Note: When I had this idea in my head, there were two specific scenes that wouldn't leave - one was the Mirka/Andy kiss, the second is the door in this chapter. Also, I started posting this just before Wimbledon and Real Life Roger had since been going the way AU Roger is in the story. So I'm really happy Roger won a gold and is happy again.
Part 9
Word quickly travelled. How could it not? If he thought the stack was high when he said he had no clue how to beat Roddick, the one stack couldn't hold this amount of press. The headlines went from the simple reporting to the outrageous tabloids.
United Kingdom: Roger's Girl Getting a Rogering from Andy Roddick.
Germany: Mirka: Giving Andy Insider Information For Years.
Switzerland: "I Had No Idea She Could Be So Malicious," Federer Says Tearfully.
Russia: Marat Safin falls into Mirka's love trap with Roddick.
United States: Madonna denies reports that she was sleeping with A-Rod. "I'm not sure I've even met him," she claims.
Spain: Rafael Nadal has no comment, preferring to focus on the tennis. "I'm more worried about Andy now ranked number 2. I must be careful."
No surprise that Mirka wasn't going to be doing the European leg of the season alongside Roger. He'd feel all eyes on him anyway, wondering how he was handling that blow. Among the crowd that day had been a person with a digital camera so there was no use denying the kiss.
He'd spot Mirka at stops on the tour, talking to promoters and performing her job as well as she ever did. As long as it didn't involve them in the same room or at his matches, they were safe. Even if it led to more press, wondering why she was still working for Roger.
Andy still looked like a deer in headlights about the situation. If he thought he'd had press when number one and dating an actress, it was nothing compared to this "international scandal." He'd try to answer the press' questions but he acted as if he was the innocent and confused middle party. The press didn't buy it, now certain that Mirka and Andy were having a relationship.
Roger wasn't so sure he disagreed with the press there. Brad had told Andy to settle down with someone like Mirka. Back then, Andy didn't want that, but time had passed and he may have grown up.
Of course, Mirka and Andy wouldn't want to be seen in public. Recent pictures were normally from tennis events, although a few slipped in of he and Marat at the club without a care in the world.
Although Roger had some problems with matches in the next few tournaments (including inexplicably losing to Guillermo Canas twice in a row), he started to get going once on the clay. Usually his worst surface, this year was a different story. He'd made it to two Masters Series finals, even beating Nadal in one of them.
The French Open was a relief from the questions. After all, if there was one thing that could be counted on, it was that Andy would be out of Paris within the first few days of the tournament. Andy wasn't a letdown in that respect this year either, losing in the first round. Roger quietly got through his few three matches before losing to Youzhny. Even though Roger had some successes in Paris in the past, the French generally ignored the gossip and he was perfectly okay with the ordinary result.
Especially since there would be a deluge of questions when he got to England. Roger was barely off the plane when they started. It wasn't as if he'd give an answer if he did know the answers but Mirka stayed in business mode around him, many people in suits separating them.
He had gotten his ranking up to 10 in the world, thanks to the clay success. As a result, he was also in the discussion as a threat. With his grass prowess, they were already hyping the possibility of a Roddick-Federer semifinal. The Grudge Match, as referred to in the newspapers, that would settle the rivalry once and for all.
Though how could there be a rivalry when Andy always won? At everything? Roger had never beaten him in an important match. Andy was the charmer, the one the press and the players loved. Andy was the one who had managed to have meals with Roger and give the impression they could be friends despite the competition.
Andy was the one that led to Mirka being so annoyed with Roger that she eventually left him. Andy was the one she pursued and made a huge show of it. Andy was the one who constantly made a fool of him.
Roger wanted to face that rotten American so badly.
It fueled Roger through the early matches. He handily beat Andy's best friend forever Marat in the third round, which was a nice build-up to the main event. Roger had been worried about Haas, but injury forced a withdrawal so he didn't have that obstacle. Finally, he beat Juan Carlos in the quarters, knowing that he had fulfilled his end of the deal for the semifinal match-up the Brits had been waiting for.
After doing the obligatory interviews and other commitments, Roger settled into his hotel room and turned on the only match that mattered: Andy vs. Richard Gasquet. The guy Roger had easily dismissed in the first round the year before was the obstacle.
Andy was rolling through the first two sets and was two points away from closing it out in straight sets. Roger sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Andy's celebration to come.
Three hours later, Roger was still staring at the television in disbelief. By now, some other program was on but it didn't matter. The kid often compared to Roger himself - both in skills and in unfulfilled potential - got going and there was nothing Andy could do to stop it as winner after winner sailed past. Roger had to admit he was impressed by Richard's game, the first time he'd seriously studied it, but he wasn't Andy. It meant The Grudge Match would not happen.
There should have been a sense of relief that he'd have an easier, tired, nervous opponent instead of the normally confident Andy. It shouldn't have been a disappointment. But it was.
"Andy blew it?" Roger muttered over and over.
"How could he mess up? I'm supposed to mess up."
Self-fulfilling prophecy, Roger should have supposed. Roger was supposed to mess up and he did. Big time. If he thought the match against Roddick at the Australian was bad, this was much worse. At least Andy was at the top of his game and nobody could fault that he was a dominant force.
Gasquet was not the same player he'd been in those last two-plus sets against Andy. He was understandably exhausted because the match had ended so late. Maybe a little nervous at times. Going for broke on his shots as a result, whether winners or errors.
Roger should have had the answer. There was a simple strategy: make him have to play long points. Problem was that his shots refused to stay in the court. It was always juuuuust a bit outside. Juuuuust clipping the net and falling on his side instead of Richard's. Juuuuust missing on the break point opportunities he'd gotten. Juuuuust watching Richard's shot clip the line that Roger had been certain would sail wide.
Juuuuust letting Richard, the younger version of himself, coast into the Wimbledon final without giving him a serious challenge.
Roger sat on the bench and watched Richard preparing to leave the locker room. He was still in his sweaty tennis gear, not yet ready for the showers. A towel covered his head but gave just enough a view so he'd know when the Frenchman was gone. He was seething underneath that towel, wanting that match with Andy so badly that he allowed everything else to go wrong.
Of course it was possible that he could have suffered the same fate as Andy did in the previous round. But he had allow the young player at least a chance to self-destruct. It wasn't a match as far as Roger was concerned.
He should have tried visualization. Imagine that Andy was the one on the other side of the net. Continuously hit serves into the body so that he'd get bruised. Return those 140-mph serves so they just dipped to his feet.
Hope that one shot takes a funny bounce and hits Andy in the mouth that had touched Mirka's. That carefree smile would be gone, no longer pleasing to the snap-happy photographers.
The locker room door opened and he could see Richard's back as he exited the room. Once the door closed, Roger dropped the towel from his head and saw he was alone.
Roger exclaimed, "Why do you do this to me, Andy? Even when you lose, I lose. What do you want? Is there some spirit that I've upset? You just have to be Mr. Perfect, don't you?"
He wasn't sure when he stood up but the next thing he knew, his fist had connected with a wooden door. It felt so good that Roger did it again.
Suddenly, arms were around him, pulling away from the innocent door. Roger struggled to get away but the person clearly had a size advantage and was utilizing it right now.
"As an expert in this department, let me give you some advice." Based on the Russian accent and the size advantage, Roger assumed it was Marat. "Use the rackets and water bottles for rages. Not your fists on locked doors. Saves on the hospital bills."
"You don't get it," Roger complained, hating how whiny his voice sounded.
"Yes, I do. You're hurting but don't ruin everything because of her publicity stunt. You wanted to prove to Andy who was the man and he screwed up the grand plan."
"Even when Andy loses, I lose. There's no reason for Andy to want to face me because it's so easy for him." Roger was not going to cry. Not in front of Marat.
Marat could tell the change in mood and spoke softly in Roger's ear, "Facing you is not easy for Andy. Believe me. He was worrying about the possibility the night before the quarterfinal. Even more than facing Richie."
Roger idly wondered if Marat was hitting on him, as he hadn't yet released his grip. However, there was something odd about that last sentence. Of course Marat and Andy would be talking but...
"I knocked you out of the tournament a week ago."
"I know but I'm letting that pass because Andy asked me to check on you. He feels guilty because of this Mirka mess and wanted to make sure you were truly okay."
"Why would Andy... no, the better question is why are you still in London? You hate Wimbledon."
"He has no interest in Mirka, you know."
"His type is blondes. I've noticed. The papers have noticed."
"Actually, no. He prefers brunettes. The papers have noticed but the story is wrong."
Marat's grip was loosened, allowing Roger a chance to turn around and face the Russian. This time he finally figured out the truth. It really wasn't about Mirka. For either Andy or Roger. He broke down in Marat's arms, sobbing as he realized, "Andy was trying to tell me and kept backing out. He's not into her. He's into guys. He's dating you."
"Well, not exactly."
Part 10