Andy Roddick says he is ready to follow the pack when it comes to financial issues that have players pondering a boycott of next January's Australian Open, but he isn't betting on it actually happening.

The American 20th seed advanced to the second round of the US Open on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over compatriot Rhyne Williams, then said he will back whatever the players council leadership decides.

Roddick has been quick to point out the discrepancies in payouts of 13 percent of revenues from Grand Slam events compared to US team sports like the NBA, where players last year were forced to settle for a 50-50 revenue split.

"I'm on board with whatever the contemporaries come up with," Roddick said. "At this point it's the same old song."

"The ATP, the ITF (International Tennis Federation), powers that be, are betting against us being able to unify and they have been getting away with that gamble for 25 years and we haven't proved them wrong yet.

"U2 doesn't ask permission to go on tour. We ask permission do a lot of things."

AFP

(China Daily 08/30/2012 page22)