Andy Roddick has really impressed me with his performance down in Melbourne. He is starting the year off well; dropping fifteen pounds, and visually looks like a totally different player physically. He has advanced his game, throwing in a couple volleys instead of his usual predictable groundstrokes making it harder for top oppenents to beat him.
Roddick's recent conquest was Novak Djokovic, the defending Australian Open Champion. The change in his game wasn't the only thing that helped him but his fitness as well also served as a weapon. Roddick recently dropped fifteen pounds because he hoped that with less weight to carry around he would be able to move quicker on the court. His training paid off and because of his better conditioning he was able to outlast Novak Djokovic, seeded three. Djokovic was forced to retire in the fourth set when he was down two sets to one (7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 1-2) because of the intense weather conditions with temperatures on court as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roddick is now scheduled to play Roger Federer, the number two seed, in the semifinals.
Federer breezed by the number eight seed, Juan Martin del Potro, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 in a match that only took an hour and twenty minutes.
The difference between the intensity of the two quarterfinal matches that Federer and Roddick played could make a difference, but I think the world is looking at a new, fitter Andy Roddick who may actually have a chance to beat Federer for only the third time in his career.
No comments:
Post a Comment