Roddick ends drought against Federer
Well, say goodbye to 1-15, and hello to 2-15 for Andy Roddick! Coming into tonight’s match against Roger Federer, Andy Roddick had been 1-15 all-time, but not anymore. Roddick defeated Federer 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open. This is a big win for Roddick, who is having a great year so far. He has already won two titles, and looks primed to win his third. For Federer, the questions remain and I still don’t think he is totally over his bout with mono. This is by no means an excuse, but just the facts. Roddick will now face Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals.
The big difference in this match was that Roddick served brilliantly. He didn’t serve out wide as much, instead he went into Federer’s body. This enabled him to win plenty of free points and gave him a major confidence boost. Also, when Federer sliced Roddick didn’t come charging in giving Federer the chance to pass him like in past matches. Instead, he stayed back and continued to play the point. That was a change in strategy that definitely worked in his favor.
Federer isn’t moving as well as he has in the past, and his slice doesn’t bite like it normally does. Also, his forehand is producing way too many errors, that was very apparent in this loss. Tennis is a funny game. When one player beats you it gives other players more confidence. For a while, Federer seemed invincible, but now he seems human. His opponents feel like they can win, and that new found confidence is hurting Federer. He is still the best player in the game in my eyes, but if this trend continues, WATCH OUT!
Here is the last bit of the match from last night. Sorry that it’s in Chinese…
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