The Hindu : Sport : Roddick, Safin set up intriguing third-round clash

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 18, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Roddick, Safin set up intriguing third-round clash

Nirmal Shekar

The American seems to be riding his momentum

Advertisement

<SCRIPT language='JavaScript1.1' SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.4;abr=!ie;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT> <A HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.4;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?"> <IMG SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.4;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?" BORDER=0 WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=250 ALT="Click Here"></A> </NOSCRIPT>

Melbourne: In many aspects, Andy Roddick is the polar opposite of the dark, brooding, failed boxer, Terry Malloy, immortalised on screen by the peerless Marlon Brando in the Hollywood classic On The Waterfront.

Roddick, who blasted his way past Marc Gicquel of France 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the third round of the Australian Open tennis championship on Wednesday, is no sulking loser venting existential angst on the near and dear ones. The handsome American is a winner.

Yet, the point is, Roddick is a winner who has not won enough on the big stage to justify the pre-eminent status. He is like the widely recommended potential blue chip stock that always threatens to deliver — realise its potential — but rarely does.

Roddick won his first — and only — Grand Slam title less than two months after Roger Federer won his own first. That was at the 2003 U.S. Open. While Federer has added eight to his collection since Wimbledon 2003, Roddick has failed to win another.

What is more, his year-end rankings history over the last four years sums up the story rather nicely: No. 1 in 2003, No. 2 in 2004, No. 3 in 2005 and No. 6in 2006.

Now's the time

It is just possible that long years from now, sitting in front of the fire on a bleak winter night with his grand children, Roddick might find himself repeating Brando's unforgettable words: "You know, I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody." Grand Slam history has no special place for one-Slam wonders and if Roddick wants to leave his mark on the game, the time to get going is now — especially because the amiable American is playing as well as he might have ever played at the very start of a season.

A victory over Federer — even if it was only in an invitation event that is not an official part of the ATP Tour — can do wonders to a player's confidence. And, Roddick has ridden the momentum of Saturday's success at Kooyong rather well this week.

On Wednesday, against a 29-year old Frenchman whose career prize money is less than 25 per cent of what Roddick made in 2006 — $2,004,890 — the sixth seed was on cruise mode for the most part.

A man who always performs at full throttle, Roddick used his main weapons — the big serve and a bullwhip cracking forehand — with the same sort of unalloyed glee with which a kid might show off its favourite toys to neighbours.

While there is the indication that he may be just a little less frenetic now in applying raw, overwhelming power, the volley is still very much an experimental exercise for Roddick.

The high first serve success percentage (67) and 18 aces clearly reflected Roddick's confidence. He opened up a 3-0 first set lead and stepped on the pedal at the right time to close out the second and third sets while never losing serve himself.

Roller coaster

Next up for Roddick is the 2005 champion Marat Safin. On yet another comeback in a roller coaster career, the Russian came within two points of losing in the fourth set before fighting back for 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-0 victory over Dudi Sela of Israel.

"I think we are both better than a third round match-up against each other.

But that's the way it shakes out. We both have to deal with it," said Roddick.

"Feel like I am pretty close to playing clean tennis," he said. "Today I was putting myself in better positions on court." Of course, Roddick will need to put himself in the best possible positions — and then hope for a spot of luck too — if he is to reverse his losing record at the Slams against Federer in a possible semifinal meeting here.

Perfection

His Majesty could have come in a blind-fold and still beaten the man he beat on Wednesday. After losing to Federer in the semifinals at Wimbledon last year, Jonas Bjorkman said that he had "the best seat in town" to watch "tennis that is as close perfection as possible." In this second round match, that Federer won 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, the Swedish veteran got another chance for a perfect view of perfection.

"What is (the meaning of) adulation?" Federer queried at the post-match press conference when asked if he was aware of the way commentators were drooling over his game.

It is just as well the Swiss maestro doesn't know the meaning — at least, did not until Wednesday afternoon. For, it can be seriously embarrassing and Federer might even start doubting his own mortality.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport