Berdych - Berdwit
Davydenko - Kolya
Djokovic - Fakervic
Federer - the Ego King, The Transitional Swiss no. 1
Kiefer - Kiwi
Stepanek - Sexy, Hotlips
Tursunov - Blog King
Acasuso - Chucho
Boris Becker - Boom Boom

David - Canas is called "Willy" because Guillermo is Spanish for William and

Ferrer is called "Pics" after a legendary MTF thread started by a non-English speaker, which simply read "David pics Ferrer" followed by emoticons for sad and confused. Much hilarity guessing what the poor soul meant, but the most sensible suggestion was that he was looking for pictures of Nalbandian v Ferrer as he was a known Nalby fan.

I'm sure I will remember more soon. . .

I'm responsible for an embarrassingly large number of those ...

Some 'corrections' and explanations:

> Canas Guillermo - Willy (Hmm., I wonder why he's called that?)

Madeline's right but it's 'Slick Willy' like Bill Clinton, in Canas's case because he's so greasy.

> Davydenko Nikolay - The Undertaker

Initially one of my more successful introductions (after seeing a pic which I can't find any more where he looked like one) but for some reason even I now just call him Kolya - maybe because it's shorter!

> Ferrer David - Pics (I presume this refers to his web page and his good looks)

Thanks for the brilliant explanation of that one (not one of mine, obviously!)

> Gasquet Richard - Dammit (Named this when done something daft to lose a match) Dick Gasketley (named after his defeat of Andy Murray and subsequent beating by Nalbandian (Numpty).

One of the people taking part in the pick 'ems once said "Oh dammit, why did I pick Gasquet AGAIN" so given what a common emotion that is when having picked the Frenchman, I started referring to him as that in all the pick 'em reports - it's caught on, at least on AM.com. He's double Dammit when you've finally had enough and stop picking him to get anywhere ... just in time for Wimby 2007. He's triple Dammit when after picking him again for a while, you give up on him again just in time for the Paris Masters. LOL

The Dick Gasketley one (not mine) is even better when you notice the amazing facial resemblance between Numpty (Nalbandian) and Muttley!

> Grosjean Sebastian - (seb & the) fat jeans. "Don't get that one".

Mine, and not a very good one. Gros = big/fat, le jean = jeans, Seba and the Fat Jeans sounds like it was his old rock band ... ? No, I thought not ...

> Hrbaty Dominic - Teaboy (Surname means 'Of Tea' in Czech).

Mine. Sorry!

> Kiefer Niklas - Muppetman (apparantly looks like Fozzie Bear of the muppets)

It's when he wears that cap he wears, he looks like Fozzie Bear's less handsome half brother. (even more so around the turn of the century when he used to play Greg a lot) - Kiefer v Gonzo is therefore not a match but the Muppet Show ... it happened once this year.

> Kohlshreiber Philipp - Kohli (to the Germans), Cabbage Writer (direct translation)

Second one's mine (sorry again), though perhaps it should be Cabbage Clerk (which is what you get if you let an internet translation thing do its stuff on an article about him!)

> Nalbandian David - Numpty (character description)

I've also seen 'Fat Dave' for him. Numpty's kind of mine - someone on MTF once said "what a numpty that man is" when he'd chucked away a match and it seemed to me that it said EVERYTHING about him (grumpty Numpty when he's in a strop)

> Robredo Tommy - Rock On (comic reference)

My worst one, children of the 70s/80s will get it (well, some of them!)

> Safin Marat - Marat Sade

Because his fans are masochists, so he must be a sadist ...

> Stepanek Radek - Dracula, Count Duckula

Two of my better ones, even if I say so myself. LOL Btw it's alarming that the new nickname 'sexy' really seems to be catching on!

-- Edited by steven at 00:00, 2007-11-14

I cant stop referring to Davydenko as Davydonkey...bad habit....all stemmed from a typo..honest !

Karlovic - The BFG (there's a chance I'm the only one who calls him that though )

WallaceEMann wrote:

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steven wrote:

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> Robredo Tommy - Rock On (comic reference)

My worst one, children of the 70s/80s will get it (well, some of them!)

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I wouldn't say using a Cannon & Ball reference was comic. Tragic maybe, comic no!

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Indeed!  I hasten to add that it wasn't me who added the "comic reference" in brackets.   I've always found Boredo a bit tragic, so it does fit!

-- Edited by steven at 04:05, 2007-11-17