Andy Roddick: Young Guns Closing Gap on American Superstar

American tennis fans are in for a real treat Friday night. Andy Roddick, so long the brand name in American tennis, will take on Jack Sock, the latest in a long line of young Americans hoping to fill the void that will soon be left by Roddick.

Roddick will show that Sock is not yet ready for prime time, but it won't be long before Sock and others pass up the veteran.

The symbolism here is enough to make any filmmaker sit up and take notice. Roddick, who hails from Nebraska, cut his teeth on the ATP Tour by trailing hardened American veterans like Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.

Jack Sock, also from Nebraska, is doing nearly the same thing. Only now Roddick is the one being looked up to.

Stylistically, they also have a lot in common. Both are long on talent and even longer on attitude. When Roddick was coming up, he played aggressive, attacking tennis, like Sock does now.

Both players are brash and cocky and like Roddick, Sock will have to learn how to properly channel that to be successful. After his first-round match, Roddick admitted that Sock reminds him of himself at that age.

Sock isn't the only one that Roddick will be looking over his shoulder at. Ryan Harrison is on his way up as well and even cracked the US Davis Cup lineup last year. Seeing the potential that he has, Roddick has already taken it upon himself to take Harrison under his wing.

Don't look now, but Donald Young is also starting to figure things out. The 22-year-old, who had been a disappointment up until this point, reached his first tournament semifinal earlier this summer in Washington D.C. and now he is through to the third-round of the US Open after beating 14th-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka.

We should be in for a treat Friday night. Sock has nothing to lose and Roddick looks shaky yet again. Most importantly, this match will be the beginning of the passing of the torch in American tennis.