(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Finals Preview:
Andy Roddick said it best today. During a "tweet" he shared with his fans after reaching the finals of the Wimbledon Championships for the third time in his career, "126 home...2 left."
The swashbuckling American can truly be proud of his recent elevated form. Once torn and ragged, Roddick's career appeared to be going southbound just a little over a year ago; a second-round exit at Wimbledon was not welcomed.
How times have changed.
The rededicated Yank, full of much more tennis to give, was prepared to pounce on the 2009 season with the same excitement of a college graduate ready to take on the world. Nothing could stand in his way. Certainly, nothing has stood in his way during the past two weeks at Wimbledon, thus far.
"Thus far" will be the key phrase going forward for Roddick, with the eminent danger of Roger Federer looming. Roddick's game has been top notch during the fortnight, but so too has Federer's. And we all know how the pair matches up—advantage Mr. Swiss.
With that in mind, let's take a peek into what lies ahead for these two tennis giants come the second and most important Sunday of the calendar season. With no Queen in the house, courtesy of Roddick, one wonders if Pete Sampras will make a rare appearance while Federer attempts to make history.
Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick—Wimbledon Final 2009
Head-to-head record: (Sorry in advance to all the Roddick fans out there; it must be stated) Federer leads 18-2 with a 3-0 mark at Wimbledon.
If there ever was a more perfect candidate for Roger Federer to pick out of a hat when attempting to break the tie he shares with Pete Sampras for 14 slam titles, Roddick would be that guy.
Federer has owned the American like no other player during his career. Much like Rafael Nadal is a poor matchup for Federer, so too is the Federer matchup for Roddick. There have been many a time when Roddick appeared more inclined to throw his racket at Federer rather than hitting an ace past him.
Will the result change come Sunday afternoon? Will Roddick somehow, someway be able to summon a new game plan a la the 2004 Wimbledon Final and throw Fed a curve ball? It is unlikely.
In all honesty, Roddick will be under the gun from the onset of this match. One of the greatest assets which make Federer a nightmare to play is the incomparable way in which he takes players out of their element.
Against Thomas Haas in the semifinals, Federer made the German come to the net on many occasions, which made him uncomfortable. Although Haas was adamant on approaching the net as part of his initial game plan, Federer made sure that Haas never found a rhythm at net.
In essence, what Federer can do like no other player is make his opponents feel secure during the early stages with their games plans. Then, Federer undoubtedly picks up his level when required and allows his opponents to self-destruct when it gets close. It happened to Haas in the semifinals, and it could very well happen to Roddick on Sunday.
30 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete