Andy Roddick: American Star Will Be a Contender at US Open

Andy Roddick has faced many disappointments in his career following his triumph at the 2003 U.S. Open, which is still his lone Grand Slam victory.

With Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from this year's U.S. Open in New York—plus the fact that seemingly unbeatable players like Novak Djokovic have demonstrated vulnerabilities—Roddick will have an opportunity to be a contender for another Grand Slam.

It's unlikely that he will win the tournament, but advancing to the quarterfinals or semifinals isn't an impossible task for the 29-year-old star.

Roddick has played well at times this season. In April, he defeated current world No. 1 Roger Federer at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. He also won the AEGON International in England in June and the BB&T Atlanta Open in July.

Roddick is capable of pulling off an upset, but his problem is playing well enough to beat the world's best in consecutive matches.

However, if there's any place where the American can find some of his old form, it's the U.S. Open. This is a tournament where he's very comfortable, and the hard courts suit his game well.

Roddick has made the final of the U.S. Open twice, most recently in 2006 when he lost to Federer in four sets. He has reached at least the quarterfinals in eight of his 12 U.S. Open appearances.

If he starts off his matches well and keeps his composure when he's behind, then Roddick will have a good chance to make a surprise run at the tournament. He cannot fall one and two sets behind too often, or there's no chance he will come back.

Will Roddick win the U.S. Open and prevent players like Federer from adding to their Grand Slam resumes? Probably not, but don't be surprised if he goes farther in New York than most predict.