Creature Vs Creature: Will A-Rod Succeed in Holding the American Fort?

Much has been discussed about Andy Roddick in these past few days; everything from his physique to his game makeover has been completely scanned, analysed, and approved by the fan and the critics' fraternity.

And Andy does deserve such laurels; he has always been steady at the Top 10 bracket right from the time when his game was more or less one dimensional until now, when he has widened the scope of his tennis arsenal.

At Wimbledon, Andy has managed to give a "summa cum laude" performance twice, and this year, he will try and reach out to the highest order of merit taking one step at a time; standing in between his way is the former Australian World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, who is equally determined to keep his career moving forward.

A Creature vs Creature, this opinionated article deals with the strengths and weaknesses from each player's perspective; this article speaks for Roddick while LJS's piece tackles the nuances of the Aussie's game and his chances.

Will Win If

Andy Roddick can win if he gets his first serve ticking perfectly; even now, though he has improved his all-around game, Roddick still relies heavily on his powerful serve and the fact that most of his opponents fail to read it and fathom it adds to his advantage.

He should try to keep the points short, since Hewitt prefers long and hard rallies from the baseline.

Roddick, on the other hand, does rally, but he is not comfortable when the points get prolonged; it just doesn't suit his game.

To serve and finish the points at the net is more of his style, and considering that Hewitt's athleticism at the baseline is far, far more defined than Roddick's, this facet of his game becomes even more important.

Capitalising on Hewitt's weak first serve, the percentage of which has been down in the 50s throughout the tournament, should be another master key for the American; putting pressure on his Hewitt's first serve and tackling his second serve should enable Roddick to garner a few valuable points in the course of the match.

Will Lose If

Urgency and laziness will be Roddick's pitfall in this game. Though there are several aspects where Roddick has the knife's edge over the Aussie, Hewitt's multi-faceted game will cause Roddick to struggle.

Taking the flipside of several of the above-mentioned positive pointers, his urgency to finish off matters as fast as possible will invariably cause Roddick to commit more and more errors; and when it comes to players like Hewitt, Federer, Murray, Rafa, and Nole once they sense their opponents weakening, they pounce on them like sharks looming not just physically, but also mentally thereafter.

Laziness comes into the picture when Hewitt starts dominating not only from the baseline but also from the net (Hewitt is no stranger to attacking games himself).

If he forces Roddick to remain positioned near the baseline and places his shots near the net, Roddick's retrieval will be next to nil, forcing him to bank excessively on his serve, which, in turn, will start wobbling under pressure.

Intangibles

Their head-to-head statistics won't help in any way; at present, Hewitt leads with a slender 6-5 advantage over Roddick, but figuring out the outcome of the match on the basis of their previous encounters is not advisable.

In fact, given the way these two players have shaped up their professional careers after initial hiccups, this match should be taken as the start of a new head-to-head count if it is so possible.

Prediction

Aggression, passion, and determination with a hunger to succeed is of utmost importance today; both the players have a lot of cobwebs to shake off—mental as well as physical—and the one who does it convincingly and supremely earns the opportunity to face yet another fire.

Like the giant chessboard in The Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, Hewitt and Roddick are dealing with something that's not just tangible but something that extends to being more than physically present; it's a battle of wits out there, and the one who keeps his wits intact till the end gets to have the last laugh.