THE tennisreporters.net NEWSLETTER: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, NO. 47

USopen'03day14

Roddick finally delivers in winning US Open

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Photo: Fred Mullane/Camerwork USA Inc. Design: Ron Cioffi/tr.net

FROM THE US OPEN – When he was 12, little Andy Roddick came to the US Open with his older brother John and spent his time chucking ice cubes at unsuspecting competitors in the player’s lounge.

Nine years later, big Andy Roddick blowtorched serves at No. 1-to-be Juan Carlos Ferrero on Arthur Ashe Stadium and won his first US Open title with a staggeringly impressive 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory.

"He's like a modern version of Ivan Lendl," his coach, Brad Gilbert proudly said. "A bigger, stronger version of Lendl."

Gilbert should know, since he faced the flames of former US Open champ Lendl many times and now has to chase down Roddick’s bullets in practice. But, perhaps, had Gilbert been Lendl’s coach, the Czech may have broken the record for most titles in the Open era. Because although a tremendous amount of credit has to go for Roddick for his flat-out brilliant play, he wasn’t using his weapons properly prior to hooking up with Gilbert in late June and he certainly was the composed player that he showed Sunday.

Although Andy made sure to credit his former coach, Tarik Benhabiles with helping bring him into the Top 10 and on the edge of greatness, according to Andy’s brother John – who the assistant men’s coach at Georgia – Andy’s decision to part ways with Benhabiles was more than necessary.

"It’s one of one reason he won today," John Roddick said. "Brad gave him more of an edge. It was getting little stale [with Tarik] and they were fighting each other bit and it wasn’t working. He needed a fresh look to his tennis."

CROSSING THE DIVIDE
The passing of the torch from Pete Sampras-Michael Chang-Jim Courier-Andre Agassi era to Roddick couldn’t have occurred at a more opportune time.

With three of those legends retired and Agassi not likely to be competing at a high level week in, week out anymore, US tennis needed another great male to surface. It took Roddick a little longer than some might have wanted to win a Slam, but he has to be given a hearty salute for surviving this brutal fortnight. It’s extremely difficult to come into a Slam as a relatively inexperienced favorite and win the title and he came through in flying colors.

"No more what's it like to be the future of American tennis crap. No more," Roddick said with a smile. "I don't think you could have written a script any better, starting it off with Pete's retirement, Chang is gone. It was just amazing, too good."

John Roddick added, "People put pressure on him before he was ready. He just turned 21. It was a lot of pressure but he never thought of that. He wanted to win for himself and for Brad and for the country. It’s very important for an American to win the US Open and this is the one he really keyed in on.

Gilbert gave Andy his marching orders before he went out on court against Ferrero. "Be relaxed, play your game and take it to him," Gilbert told him. "You weigh 200 pounds and he's a 160. Impose your will on him."

Brother John was pretty secure that Andy wouldn’t freeze up. "He’s very self confident. He’s never intimidated. He handles the big situations. He has good instincts that way."

Not since Sampras in his heyday has a player served so well in a final, as Roddick launched 23 aces, won 89 percent of his first serve points and never had his serve broken. Ferrero, one of the best returners in the game (at least on clay) couldn't convert on any of his three break points as Roddick.

"Andy’s serve has a way of taking away his nerves, the same as Sampras," Gilbert said. "If you can always hold serve, your always going to be in the match."

Roddick played an ultra-aggressive and heady match, rarely being drawn into long rallies with the fast Ferrero, controlling the net and mixing up huge flat serves with heavy kickers and hard slices. Ferrero was literally returning serve from the back wall. Roddick more than matched Ferrero from the forehand side and completely zoned on his backhand side, staying in crosscourt rallies and even tossing in a few backhand down-the-line winners.

ACED
In five out of his six service games in the second set, Roddick held with aces. The match was determined in the tiebreak, where on the first point, Ferrero leapt to stab a backhand volley and landed flat on his side. Roddick then passed him with a forehand. Ferrero then hit a gorgeous running forehand pass to even the tiebreak at 1-1 and then Roddick committed a forehand error to 2-1.

But then, Ferrero mentally collapsed, committing a slew of errors from the ground. Roddick took the breaker with a beautiful slice backhand pass down the line and a forehand crosscourt winner.

Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc.

Ferrero fought in the third set, but again was frozen by Roddick's heaters. Ferrero fought off three break points to even the set at 3-3 and then held two break points in the next game, but Roddick gunned a 137-mph service winner and Ferrero framed yet another forehand.

Roddick, who will go to No. 2 when the rankings are released on Monday, then broke Ferrero when the Spaniard double faulted. He held to win the contest in mind-numbing fashion with three straight aces. The fast-talker, fast-player collapsed on his knees and began to shed tears.

He climbed up to the friends box and embraced his parents (Jerry and Blanche), his brothers (John and Lawrence), Gilbert, and his girlfriend (singer Mandy Moore). Life was sweet.

"It's probably something he dreamed about as a little kid," Gilbert said. "He deserved it."

Roddick is not be in Sampras and Agassi's league yet, but he bettered Courier and Chang in New York by placing his name of the silver trophy near the names of Ashe, Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. He’s now holding up the mantle of US men’s tennis with strong shoulders.

"I can't imagine my name and US Open champion together," he said. "It's more than I could ever dream of."