By Alan Nicolea -
July 7th 2009 @ 1:24am
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Roddick deserves his place in history
As Roger Federer’s head was still coming to terms with being labelled the greatest male tennis player of all time, his opponent Andy Roddick was once again in the Wimbledon background.
It was a repeat of the painful scenes he experienced in the same tournament against the same player in 2004 and 2005.
Although no Grand Slam final loss is easy to take, one could sense that the 2009 Wimbledon final was by far Roddick’s hardest defeat to swallow in a career which has seen him contest a Grand Slam final five times.
Roddick’s only Grand Slam triumph was in 2003, when he won the US Open, defeating Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final.
Although the American certainly certified himself as a tennis superstar early in his career, his past few seasons have seen him tumble down the elite list of those that can truly challenge Federer’s standing in men’s tennis.
Names such as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray took Roddick’s former position as the player that would most likely give the Swiss maestro a run for his money.
In the 2009 Wimbledon final, however, a new and improved Roddick displayed a lot more strings to his bow than in previous years, and pushed the great Federer to the limit.
Unlike in previous meetings between the pair, Roddick made things happen against an opponent that has had it all over him throughout his career.
Even Roddick’s swift service game, which has always been the basis for his victories, looked to have improved immensely, judging from the amount of unplayable body serves that Federer received.
The Swiss player found himself under immense pressure for the first time in a tournament where he had only dropped one set prior to the final.
Although Federer once again showed his championship winning qualities to register the second set in a tiebreaker, Roddick also displayed the necessary mental capacity to cast aside the setback.
Despite losing the third set, Roddick responded brilliantly in the fourth to establish an early break and win the set 6-3.
The fifth and deciding set ultimately saw Roddick succumb to Federer’s status as the greatest Tennis player of all time, but only after a thirty game marathon that needed over ninety minutes to decide which player would cement themselves in Wimbledon history.
Although it was Roddick who was once again left as a runner up against the Swiss maestro, he pledged in his speech that he’d hope to one day hold aloft Tennis’s most prestigious Grand Slam trophy.
No doubt if he continues with his present form, Roddick will eventually garner a deserved maiden Wimbledon crown that may just turn around a Grand Slam finals record that says little about just how good and improved a player he really is.
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Brett McKay said | July 7th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
very true Alan, Roddick has essentially played the perfect tournament and still come up short. Not losing a serve until the last game of the match – when was that ever done?? I said in reply to an artcile yesterday that it still surprises me the Roddick only has one Slam to him name, and that maybe Roddick is to Federer and Nadal what Courier was to Sampras and Agassi??
Alan Nicolea said | July 7th 2009 @ 10:24am | Report comment
Brett
Indeed Just imagine if federer never existed, Roddick would be one of the finest in history. He could have won five Grand Slam titles. Taking nothing away from Federer though, his prescence has no doubt changed the way Tennis is now played around the world, with the brilliant forehand, backhand, serve and whatnot. It seems it has only changed Roddick’s game for the better, and it showed in the final. While Federer deserves his place in history, Roddick at least deserves another Grand Slam for mine, judging by the way his game has evolved.
ohtani's jacket, said | July 7th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Brett,
Courier won four Grand Slam titles and reached the final of each championship. He also spent 58 weeks at No.1 as opposed to Roddick’s 13 weeks. Courier was the first of those Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy graduates to challenge the hold that the Europeans had on men’s tennis. He had a stellar ‘92-93.
Roddick barely had any time before the Federer era began, but Courier was more of an all courter and was able to win Roland Garros twice, which is a pretty big deal for an American tennis player.
Roddick deserves another title. Definitely agree with that.
Harry said | July 7th 2009 @ 11:43am | Report comment
Alan IF Federer had never existed or even been born a couple of years later then our own Leyton Hewitt would have had at least two more grand slam titles – Wimbeldon in 2004 and at least one more US Open. Part of the Federer phenomen has been to deny very worthy players like Roddick and Hewitt more grand slam titles …very tough on them and you’ve got to feel sympathy for them.
And its also astonishing that while Federer can lay strong claims to being the greatest ever, I’d dispute that he’s currently the best player – Nadal in their last 3 finals – French, Wimbeldon and this year’s Australian – has shown he has Fed’s measure. Pretty amazing really that we have these two magnificant champions at the moment. Here’s hoping Nadal can return to full fitness, would love to see him play Fed in the last major final for the year at the US Open.
Brett McKay said | July 7th 2009 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
OJ, certainly no doubting Courier’s ability (he was a favourite of mine at that time), and I knew he had three or four Slams up his sleeve (two swims in the Yarra, from memory). My point was more to highlight the timing of both Roddick and Courier, in relation to the “champions” of their time. You could say the same to a degree about Wilander and Edberg to Llendl, although both of those guys – Edberg especially – did make their mark at some point.
Alan, Harry, someone yesterday mentioned that Federer’s first Wimbledon title was over Philippousis – try and imagine that scenario in addition to the “if Federer never existed” hypothesis!! Where might the Poo have gone if he won a Slam?!?!
Mushi said | July 7th 2009 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
Roddick is a fine player but I doubt his name will be remembered as anything more than a trivia question for being the player to lose one service game in a losing final.
His career achievements have nothing historic about them, a single grand slam and a couple of months at number 1? In an era which has Roger and Rafer I struggle to see how his is memorable for anything other than being a cut below those two. his career acheivements will not have him in the edberg, willander, courier conversation
LeftArmSpinner said | July 7th 2009 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
consider Roddick as the Stuart McGill of tennis. Just bad timing!!! I was very impressed with his sense of humour in the face of such a close and hard fought loss. He really lived out Kimpling’s quote that all centre court players pass under before entering the court.
Alan Nicolea said | July 7th 2009 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
Leftarm – Good point.
Brett – Yeah imagine if the Scud did win it in 2003. You could say that federer is the man responsible for the decline in Aus tennis (jokes). One can only imagine though. To Roddick’s credit though, at least he has kept at it, unlike the Scud, who preffered to go dating women both younger and older than him in that American date show several years ago.
Brett McKay said | July 7th 2009 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
Leftie, that’s a much better way to make the point I was failing to do…
Malibu77 said | July 7th 2009 @ 1:06pm | Report comment
The mens final confirmed to me, once again, that when playing against champions, you get but a few chances and then have to absolutely take them when they arise. At a set up and with 4 set points in the 2nd set tie-breaker, it was a must for Roddick to win that set. Alas it was not to be. Was he a certainty to win the match up 2 sets to love? Of course not, but his chances were greatly increased. There was the time to stick the knife in, something which only Nadal appears capable ot doing to Federer.
It is the same in the womens game now with Serena Williams as it was before with Steffi Graf (and Pete Sampras in the mens). When you get the chance, stick the knife in, or face the consequences!
Rory said | July 7th 2009 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
If Roddick needs to be compared to a player from another time who was unlucky in that he competed at a time of class players, how about Vitas Gerulaitis? He was always thereabouts at the business end of Grand Slams where he ran up against the likes of Borg, Connors and McEnroe. Mentioning his name provides another excuse to trot out this immortal quote. At one stage, he was down 16-0 career head to head against Connors (and I believe also Borg). He finally chalked up a win against Connors and said post match “nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row”.
Rory said | July 7th 2009 @ 4:44pm | Report comment
…and his middle name was Kevin.