[Andy Roddick Topic # 2] Apparently Cool

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U.S. Open - Roddick aims for LA boost
Eurosport - Wed, 06 Aug 06:19:00 2008

Former world number one Andy Roddick admits he needs to get as many matches as possible under his belt over the next two weeks to lift his confidence ahead of the U.S. Open.

The American, who chose to skip the Olympic Games to prepare for the event where he won his only Grand Slam title in 2003, has played only one tournament since Wimbledon and missed last week's Masters Series event in Cincinnati due to a neck injury.

Roddick said he hoped to find form at this week's Los Angeles Classic, where he is the top seed, and next week at the ATP event in Washington.

"Not playing doesn't help," he told reporters at the Los Angeles Classic.

"I've always been a player who prepares for tournaments by playing matches and this time of year I've always done really well -- that's why this year and next week are important. They will give a proper read on how my form is going in there."

Roddick, who has slipped to ninth in the world rankings, beat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal early in the year before a series of injuries checked his progress.

"It's been frustrating," he said. "I don't feel like I've got a foot forward in the last four months.

"Losing and not playing well for a stretch is a lot easier, because you feel responsible for it. To not be able to play is frustrating and something I haven't really had to deal with before.

"The ranking I am not too concerned about because it's not like I have been out there playing and not getting the results.

When I have been healthy, through April and even the start of the claycourt season, I was playing well."

Roddick said he stood by his decision not to travel across the world to China but admitted that he would have one eye on Beijing over the next fortnight.

"I am sure that when I am watching the events, I'll certainly miss it and there's going to be a part of me that wishes I was there," he said. "But as far as tennis goes, this is probably the best scenario.

"At this point in my career I am trying to focus on making runs at (Grand) Slams. I didn't feel like flying across the world and back and then starting a Grand Slam four days later was the ideal preparation."

Roddick begins his campaign in Los Angeles on Thursday against Serbian Dusan Vemic.

The U.S. Open runs from August 25 until September 7.

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Top-seeded American Andy Roddick opened his campaign at the Countrywide Classic with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Serbian lucky loser Dusan Vemic on Thursday evening in Los Angeles.

Roddick had withdrawn from last week's ATP Masters Series tournament in Cincinnati due to neck and shoulder pains, but made his way confidently into the Los Angeles quarterfinals as he capitalized on four of his eight break point chances during the one hour, 13 minute match.

The World No. 9 is making his fourth event appearance, and advances to the Los Angeles quarterfinals for the third time, having reached semifinals in 2002 (l. to Gambill) and quarterfinals in '06 (l. to Tursunov).

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Top seed Andy Roddick closed on his third title of the year by brushing aside Frenchman Marc Gicquel
6-3 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the ATP event in Los Angeles on Friday.
The American, on the comeback trail after shoulder and neck injuries, grew in confidence as the match wore on to set up a semi-final with unseeded German Denis Gremelmayr, who upset former world number one Marat Safin 3-6 6-3 6-2.

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Op zaterdag 9 augustus 2008 12:36 schreef Tim86 het volgende:
Zie je niet vaak, Roddick die twee keer zo dik wint. Ben benieuwd, heeft hij leren retourneren?

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Op zaterdag 9 augustus 2008 20:54 schreef Tim86 het volgende:
Neuh, dit is pas de derde keer in 2 jaar tijd dat hij twee best of 3´s achter elkaar wint met meer dan 4 games verschil

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Op zaterdag 9 augustus 2008 21:47 schreef Tim86 het volgende:

[..]

Al zijn uitslagen in ATP wedstrijden..had zelf al zo'n gevoel en heb het net opgezocht.

Was ff OS wijven kijken

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Op zaterdag 9 augustus 2008 21:53 schreef Tim86 het volgende:
KZje, heb jij voor mij een streampje, ik wil zo kijken naar delpotje

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Roddick To Meet Del Potro In Los Angeles Final

Top seed Andy Roddick cruised into his third ATP final of the season with a 6-2, 6-2 win over unseeded German Denis Gremelmayr at the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The 25-year-old American needed only 62 minutes to reach his first career final in Los Angeles in four appearances. He will attempt to capture his third ATP title of the year after titles in San Jose in February and Dubai in March.

Roddick converted four of 11 break points and saved all four break points he faced. The Austin, Texas resident enters the championship against 19-year-old Argentine Juan Martin del Potro without losing serve in the tournament (held 24 games and saving nine break points). This will be the first meeting against del Potro.

Roddick comes into his 39th career final (25-13) with a 31-8 match record on the season, including 24-5 on hard courts. During Roddick's career, he has won every North American summer hard court tournament he's played at least once and Los Angeles would be a new addition to his list. Roddick is 8-4 in his career in North American summer hard court finals.

In Saturday's win, Roddick saved two break points in the opening game of the match, then broke in the fourth and eighth games. In the second set, he saved two break points in the third game, then broke in the fourth and and eighth games to secure the victory.

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No. 3 seed Juan Martin del Potro captured his third straight ATP title with a 6-1, 7-6(2) victory over top seed Andy Roddick in the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles on Sunday.

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Roddick, who had treatment on a lower back injury midway through the first set, was thoroughly outplayed early on and Del Potro held on in the second to complete victory without losing a set in the entire tournament.

In perfect conditions, Roddick looked shell-shocked early on as Del Potro, with his forehand working to perfection, ripped through the the first four games for the loss of just four points.

In the fifth game, the American received a warning for throwing his racket and then called the trainer for treatment on his back.

When he returned, Del Potro held serve and then broke Roddick for the second time thanks to a flashing forehand pass to seal the set.

Roddick tried to vary his attack in the second set with the occasional serve and volley.

He stayed on track with the Argentine but could not force a single break point on the Del Potro serve and the set headed to a tiebreak.

Points went with serve until an errant Roddick forehand gave Del Potro a 4-2 lead and he then won the next three points to clinch the title when Roddick sent a forehand long.

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Roddick was appearing in his third ATP final of the season after picking up titles in San Jose in February and Dubai in March. Roddick, who was making his first Los Angeles final showing, fell to 8-5 in his career in North American summer hard court title matches.

"The first set, he played lights out," said Roddick. "I missed a lot more returns than I wanted. Besides that it was OK. I didn't serve great, I didn't return as well as I have been this week. That made a big difference.

"I just didn't return well enough to give myself a shot in the second set. Every time I get into the game, I miss a couple of returns, I missed a couple of balls."

"I made it through the week. I made a final out of nowhere. I haven't even really been playing much. That's a good sign that I was able to get this much better during the week. Hopefully I can continue along that pace. It was positive overall."

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ATP Tour - Roddick overcomes Schwank

A gutsy Andy Roddick saved two match points before edging out Argentine Eduardo Schwank 4-6 6-4 7-6 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington.

Schwank led the defending champion 5-4 in the third set and 40-15 on his own serve but double-faulted on the second of them as the American broke back and then won the tiebreak 7-2 to advance after two hours, 42 minutes.

Roddick will next play Serbian Viktor Troicki, who reached his second quarter-final of the year with a 6-4 1-6 6-4 win over American Bobby Reynolds.

"You probably don't want to go two match points down, but I probably needed a tough match like this," Roddick said.

"It's been a little bit since I toughed one of those out, so hopefully in the long run it will end up being a good thing."

In relatively cool, overcast conditions, Roddick was made to work overtime before scrambling past an inspired Schwank, converting only three of 16 break points in the process.

A clay-courter in style but seemingly at home on hard courts, Schwank has risen up the rankings from 171st at the start of the year to 56th.

He broke to lead 3-2 after an errant Roddick backhand and frustrated the American further by saving seven break points in an epic sixth game, holding serve thanks to a sublime angled volley to lead 4-2.

Roddick had chances to break back for 5-5 but Schwank saved his ninth break point of the set before closing it out after 67 minutes.

More break points came and went for Roddick at the start of the second set and games stayed on serve until the 10th game when he finally broke through the Argentine's resistance to level the match.

This time it was Roddick's turn to save a break point, in the opening game of the decider, and when he broke in the fourth game on the way to a 4-1 lead, the match looked over.

But Schwank hit back, breaking in the seventh game and then again in the ninth to lead 5-4.

Serving for the match, Schwank squandered one match point and then double-faulted on the second, before the American snatched the break back to level and eventually clinch the tiebreak.