Fastballing Roddick needs a change-up
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By Charles Bricker
Sports Columnist
September 1, 2005
sun-sentinel.com
NEW YORK · What happened to Andy Roddick on Tuesday night at the U.S. Open?
The answer lies somewhere between the extremes that always seem too obvious in these shocking moments.
Extreme No. 1: Roddick played like a bum. He's got a lousy backhand. He took No. 68 Gilles Muller too lightly. He doesn't get up for the players he's supposed to beat. He's a bogus top-five player.
Extreme No. 2: Roddick is just fine, but he ran into a super-hot, high-risk player who served insanely and couldn't miss with his forehand. This loss was just hard luck.
Now let's meet somewhere in the middle. Roddick was not "just fine" in this match, but it wasn't because he wasn't physically and emotionally ready to play.
He's in the best physical condition of his young career, and he can thank his new coach, Dean Goldfine, for the heavy emphasis that has been put on his off-court work.
As for overlooking Muller, that's ridiculous. Roddick knew how well his opponent had played in reaching the final at Los Angeles. He had beaten Roddick's good friend, Robby Ginepri, in the quarters.
What Roddick did not do well in this match was think his way clear of the problems Muller created for him in the second and third sets. That was surprising. You expect him at age 23 and after five seasons to make better mid-match tactical decisions.
Yet in this 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (1) defeat he never really changed the tempo of the play. Right to the end, he was trying to hit through the 6-foot-5 Muller, who did a superb job of parrying away Roddick's groundstrokes.
Also, the left-handed Luxembourgian has a lethal slice serve into the ad court, which drags Roddick wide of the court on his worst side, the backhand. Yet Andy continued to hang back behind the baseline to return serve and was dominated. He should have moved inside the baseline.
This is not to say that Roddick is brilliant taking the ball early, but when you're being dominated, you have to do something different.
Periodically, Roddick tossed in some first-serve kickers. I would have liked to have seen more of that. Not that Roddick was having difficulty holding serve, but it would have helped break up the fast-paced rhythm of the match that seemed to work too much in Muller's favor.
With a player like Muller, who is very streaky and very risky, you have to take him out of his tempo with something ... anything. Roddick never accomplished that.
Roddick was up 5-3 in the opening set. "Had I rolled through that one 6-3, served it out, who knows?" Roddick said.
It's hard to argue with that. If Roddick is up a set the complexion of the match changes. When Muller won the opening set, he settled into a very comfortable zone. "Of course, it's much easier to play when you're winning," Muller said.
Roddick's backhand is certainly improved over two years ago, and it's a passing shot weapon. But it may never be so strong in the backcourt rallies that he can consistently crank it up the line for winners.
In this match, however, it was a liability. He didn't move Muller with it, and too many times he left backhands right in Muller's strike zone. The big European stood in the middle of the court and slammed forehand winners. Also, Roddick did not slice well off the backhand side.
There are those who are suggesting he doesn't play the big points well. That's ludicrous. He came through tough matches against Daniele Bracciali and Thomas Johansson at Wimbledon, against Dmitry Tursunov at Indianpolis, won Washington, and beat Lleyton Hewitt before losing the final to Roger Federer at Cincinnati.
He did indeed run into a super-hot player Tuesday night, which happens to every top player. Sometimes you think your way out of those matches, and sometimes you don't.
This time, Roddick didn't and he'll correctly take full responsibility for that. Had he managed to take Muller out of his rhythm or jolted him off that 50-foot wave he was riding, there is no guarantee he'd be in the second round awaiting Ginepri.
But at least he would have done something tactically different.
Instead, he's back home in Austin, Texas, with a hangover. It will last a few days, and then he'll get on the clay to get ready for Davis Cup against Belgium, Sept. 23-25.
He's a top-five player, and there isn't a player in the locker room who would debate that.
At least he hasn't lost his sense of humor. One reporter tried to salve his feelings by recalling that Andre Agassi in 1993 lost in the first round here to Thomas Enqvist and won the Open the next year unseeded. "Does that give you encouragement?"
Roddick smiled wryly. "I hope I'm not unseeded next year," he replied. "Let's not get carried away. I lost a match. You guys crack me up sometimes, I swear to God."
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