Why Andy Roddick Will Never Beat Roger Federer

Andy Roddick may figure out the game of professional tennis in time to make me feel like an idiot for writing this article. 

As it stands now, he hasn't figured out enough to beat that Roger guy, and he probably never will (again). 

Yes, Roddick beat him once in 2004 in Montreal, when Federer was still on his way to being the tennis god he is now.

Federer's 15 wins against Roddick will increase, and no, Roddick is not "due" for a win. 

Here's why I think this...

15-Love

Roddick hits hard balls to win points; Federer hits a lot of balls to win matches

Roddick is an amazing athlete. He hits harder than Roger. He has more raw speed and strength than Roger. He is more intense than Roger. 

Still, Andy will never beat Roger at anything, ever again. Not even Nintendo Wii Tennis.  Not even checkers.

Any tennis fan, or sports fan for that matter, can pick up what I'm laying down here. 

Federer knows how to win. Roddick knows how to win. They know how to win in different ways, but when they get together, Federer's way trumps that of Roddick.

Roddick will take the court with his hair on fire, and hopefully stay hot long enough to win. This might work against Kei Nishikori in San Jose, but not against Roger Federer at Wimbledon. 

Roddick loses his head a lot easier than Federer. 

By now, Federer knows he owns Roddick, so having his serve broken is no big deal in his eyes. When Roddick gets broken, there is an urgency to rebound before things gets out of control.  

Federer senses the urgency, so he tests Roddick with steadiness. If steadiness were a core college subject, Roddick would repeat it every semester, only to fail each time.

30-Love

Federer waits. Roddick hates.

Roddick can outclass most tennis players, but mental toughness is not his forte.

Watch the guy in a match, and through the TV screen, you'll feel that spastic energy. It's simply his approach to tennis. He either blows you off the court, or he doesn't. 

If he doesn't, leaving him to rely on his mental game, it often does not end well. 

In short, if you're one of the fifty or so tour players that can hang with Roddick, you can beat him.

This energy is what kills Roddick in a match against Federer.

When Roddick tears out of the gate with aces and winners, Federer maintains. Federer holds serve until Roddick gives him an opportunity.  Believe me, it will happen. It always does.

40-Love

Roddick is hopeful. Federer is certain.

In the 2007 US Open quarters, the American played huge, but Federer simply managed Roddick through a pair of tie-breakers, before walking away with the match in the third set. 

It always seems to go this way. It's close at first, before Roddick finally rolls over, showing his alligator-tattooed belly to the dominant Swiss. 

It's weird how Federer is only a year older than Roddick, but seems to have his act together in a way that suggests he's the big senior and Roddick's the wedgy-prone freshman with a bit more growing up to do. 

During a match between the two, you can tell Federer knows he's going to win. Roddick hopes. 

He hopes for a tie-breaker to go his way, and he hopes for a lot of aces. The two each approach the match the same way everytime, and the results are never any different. 

Why should they be?

Game

Federer bends. Roddick breaks (not serve).

Roddick has nothing new to show Federer. Federer has nothing new to show Roddick. 

They know what each other has in terms of weapons, confidence, and stamina. I'm sure Federer is just fine with this scenario.

Roddick continues to try to cram the square learning-toy into the circular hole until he gets tired, and Federer plays solid until the mental breakdown happens. 

Back to my original point.

Andy Roddick will never beat Roger Federer (again), because he's not the kind of thinking man that Federer is.

Roddick is not the type to change speeds mentally to figure out his opponent.

I have been watching him play for a long time, and I'm not sure if he completely understands the mental game of tennis, and I'm not sure if he knows what kind of personal reinvention it will take to beat Federer. 

No one knows for certain, except Roger Federer himself. And boy, is he certain.