Redfoo loses in U.S. Open qualifying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4YbvP_Rh1c Redfoo's U.S. Open singles dream is over. The 37-year-old former LMFAO party rocker lost his opening match at the

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4YbvP_Rh1c

Redfoo's U.S. Open singles dream is over.

The 37-year-old former LMFAO party rocker lost his opening match at the U.S. Open sectional qualifying tournament on Wednesday, falling (at times literally) to Fresno City College's Scott Gray, a California state champion who graduated high school last year. Drawing hundreds to the Chamisal Tennis Club in Salinas, Calif., Redfoo (who played under his real name, Stefan Gordy) entered to his own song Heart of a Champion, which features girlfriend Victoria Azarenka's famous grunt, blaring from the speakers. He was no match for Gray, who raced to a 5-0 lead and advanced 6-1, 6-2.

“I say it’s a success for me because the journey was so great, and I actually felt good out there,” Redfoo said. “[Gray] kicked my butt in the score, and he played great.”

Curiously, Redfoo took the court wearing basketball shoes. Given his consistent presence around the tennis tour, one would think he would know players wear tennis-specific shoes for a reason. He repeatedly slipped in his basketball kicks until a fan offered to give him his tennis shoes. The musician switched shoes and, wouldn't you know it, they had better traction.

“Thinking back, if I could turn the hands of time, I would have went up there much earlier," Redfoo said of the shoe exchange. "I thought [the type of shoes] didn’t matter. Now I’m playing with tennis shoes and I’m screeching. I didn’t have the screech before.”

Update:

The pair lost 6-3, 7-6 [4].)


Published
Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.