Andy Roddick appearing in the doubles at the Surbiton Challenger seems akin to Brad Pitt stepping on stage in an amateur dramatics production.
Unfortunately, this is exactly how the world number three seemed to view his first tournament of the grasscourt season as well.
Roddick had originally been expected to arrive at the Surbiton Racket and Fitness Club in south-west London at midday, but turned up three-and-a-half hours late, just 40 minutes before he was due on court on Wednesday.
And seconds after he and partner Robby Ginepri limply lost 7-5 6-1 to Australians Chris Guccione and Nathan Healey, A-Rod jumped into a waiting car and sped away.
His failure to fulfil his contractual post-match press commitments is likely to lead to a £338 fine from the ATP and the loss of his £105 match fee - which is unlikely to unduly concern someone with career earnings of more than £7m.
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Roddick had entered the tournament on the advice of his "coaching consultant", Jimmy Connors, following his first-round defeat by Igor Andreev at the French Open last week.
The thinking was that the 24-year-old could acclimatise to grass before Wimbledon and, although he was too late to enter the Surbiton singles, doubles was seen as a good way to sharpen up his volleys.
Roddick is likely once again to be Roger Federer's main challenger at Wimbledon. The problem is that he has taken on the Swiss three times at SW19 so far - in the 2003 semis and the 2004 and 2005 finals - and won just one set.
His game, based primarily on a bludgeoning serve and powerful forehand, has lacked the variety to trouble the world number one.
Perhaps this appearance in the Surbiton doubles was a hint that Roddick will try to increase his forays into the net on grass this year.
Sadly, following his no-show at the news conference, we were unable to ask.
On the evidence of this match, Roddick still has a long way to go to develop his grasscourt game.
Although his serve was as fearsome as ever, he was hopelessly out of touch at the net and his groundstrokes were wayward.
After he missed yet another volley in the second set, his partner, Ginepri, looked toward the crowd and said: "I need a new partner. Is there anybody?"
Their opponents, Guccione and Healey, showed the doubles expertise and skills that Roddick so patently lacked.
Next stop for Roddick will be the Artois Championships at Queen's Club next week. It's a happy hunting ground for the American, who won three consecutive titles there from 2003 to 2005, and he is bound to be vastly improved from his showing at Surbiton.
But there will still be some way to go before he can provide a genuine challenge to Federer.
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