Bikini-clad wife puts Roddick in the shade

New York: Andy Roddick was initially bitter when his wife Brooklyn Decker graced the cover of Sports Illustrated`s annual swimsuit issue last month in a tiny yellow bikini -- and it was not because of her skimpy attire.

The eighth-ranked Roddick has never appeared on the cover of the weekly magazine, not even after the American won his first grand slam title at the 2003 U.S. Open. Decker, who married Roddick last April, teased her husband about beating him to the cover. "Trust me, that fact wasn`t lost on her. I promise you," Roddick jokingly told reporters on Thursday at the Sony Ericsson Open. "That was one of the things I was bitter about... she gave me a little crap." Roddick lost to Roger Federer in an epic five set battle at the All England Club in 2009 and the American said match left him heartbroken, but not down. "It was a lot tougher being that close than compared to the `05 Wimbledon final where I lost in straight sets and didn`t feel like I was ever really too far into the match," said Roddick. Decker had been modelling for Sports Illustrated`s swimsuit issues for five years before getting the nod for the cover. Now she is working on a movie with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler called "Just Go With It.""As far as our year, it`s been great. I think we both realise -- probably me more than her at this point -- but in the grand scheme of our lives, this is probably a very important three or four years for me." Roddick plays Russian Igor Andreev in the second round on Friday in Key Biscayne, Florida. Bureau Report