Andy Roddick: always a contender, only once a champion
In 2003, Roddick hits his peak
Andy Roddick remains the last American for nearly a decade to have reached the no.1 position in the ATP rankings and the summit was reached by the big-serving man in late 2003, the year in which he won his maiden Slam, the US Open. Unfortunately for him, that remains the only Grand Slam that Roddick would win despite reaching the final of a number of other majors in the subsequent years.
Style of play…
Roddick’s style of play is centred around a powerful serve. Unfortunately for the American, once his serve comes back, his all-round game, especially from the baseline is at best ‘average’ as a result of which he hasn’t been able to dominate and be consistent at the majors.
His lone success at that level came when as a 21-year old upcoming American, he triumphed in his home Slam, the US Open. In the final he defeated the then World no. 3, Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets. He also managed to finish that year as the world’s top ranked player.
Best play at Wimbledon…
For a man who consistently serves in the high 130 mph speed, it’s not surprising to guess that Roddick’s greatest successes would have come on grass. He contested three finals, in 2004, 2005 and then four years later in 2009 at Wimbledon. However, he ended up facing Roger Federer in each of those matches and every time ended up falling short, with the razor-close 2009 final especially disappointing for the former no.1.
Build-up to the 2009 final…
The setting couldn’t have been more intriguing. Federer was on the verge of creating history having just won his 14th major title at the French Open last month and had the opportunity to go past Pete Sampras’ tally of Grand Slams. Standing in his way was another American, Andy Roddick, someone who had posed little trouble for the Swiss in their earlier two finals at the All England Club.
Lop-sided ‘rivalry’
As a matter of fact, even in their head-to-head rivalry, Roddick had won only two of their twenty matches played till then; the American having no qualms in admitting on several occasions that their match-up couldn’t be termed as ‘rivalry’ unless he were to start winning a lot more.
Past finals at Wimbledon
In their first final played there, in 2004, Federer had triumphed in four sets while in the year later, the Swiss almost stream-rolled over the American coasting to his third straight Wimbledon crown. Even some of their other matches contested elsewhere have been extremely lopsided with the semi-final at the 2007 Australian Open being one such glaring case where in the second set of that match, Roddick was able to win a mere six points; Federer eventually winning that match 6-4 6-0 6-2.
Epic 2009 Wimbledon final
The number of games played in the 5th set, 30, would go down in history as a then record. Federer, who never had a problem in facing the Roddick serve till then in his career, could not find a solution to his opponent’s non-stop flow of aces and service winners. Roddick was on the verge of going up by two sets to love having held four set points in the second set.
Roddick a la Ivanisevic?
A flurry of errors followed then and that crucial break of serve in the deciding set, the only time when Federer broke Roddick in that match was enough for Swiss to win his 6th title there.
Roddick had lost another final at the All England Club but there was little doubt in the fact that he’d won a million hearts across the tennis world for his courage and play. In many ways, he was proving to be the modern version of Goran Ivanisevic who also had difficulties in winning at Wimbledon so long as Sampras stood in his way.
But for as long as Roddick can't beat Federer, or overcome the other top players in the game, he'll be stuck with the title of being a perennial contender, but never the dominating force he promised to be with his rise in the tennis world back in 2003.
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