FROM THE SAP OPEN IN SAN JOSE–
It’s been all about survival for Andy Roddick and Fernando Verdasco
this week in San Jose and they’ve pulled their backs off the wall
quite admirably, which is why on Sunday, the top two seeds will meet in
the final.
Roddick survived 32 aces from Sam Querrey and scored a 2-6, 7-6 (5) 7-6
(4), while Verdasco played heady tennis late and overcame Denis Istomin
6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
It was yet another night of scratching and clawing for America’s
top player, who didn’t earn a break point against the big serving
Querrey, but was steady from the backcourt and served huge and accurately
when he needed to come away with the victory. Roddick hasn’t overwhelmed
anyone from the baseline during the week and Querrey was bullying him
off the forehand side, but outside of a first set when he came out crabby
and in his words unprepared to play, he hung tough, mixed up his shot
selection and brought himself to a comfortable place, the tiebreakers,
where except against the world’s elite, he usually triumphs because
he doesn’t play scared or stupidly.
Roddick pushed ahead to 6-3 lead in the second set tiebreaker behind three
unforced errors from the 22-year-old Querrey, and eventually won it 7-5
when he boomed a 133-mph ace.
After withstanding two break points in the second game of the third set
with two more aces, Roddick again punched his way into the tiebreaker.
There, Querrey clearly gagged. Holding a 4-3 lead and serving, he pushed
a backhand way wide and missed an easy forehand. Then Roddick ripped a
forehand passing shot down the line – his most impressive one of
the contest – and then lost the breaker 7-4 when he couldn’t
scoop up a Roddick drop volley that he was on top of.
“I was a little tight and you don’t often lose matches when
a guy doesn’t hold a break point against you,” Querrey said.
“But he never gives you anything and makes you earn every point.”
Roddick has now won his last two matches without breaking serve, including
his two-tiebreaker victory over Tomas Berdych in the quarters. He’s
11-2 in tiebreakers this year. “A match can turn real fast,”
said Roddick, who served 21 aces. “You can swing a match in a couple
of minutes and that’s what I was able to do.”
While Querrey can certainly stand in with Roddick, who said he was outplayed
in the contest, he still doesn’t compete as well, which is why Roddick
has been a top 10 player since 2002 and he’s still hovering outside
of the top 30.
“It comes down to intangible stuff, nothing to do with strokes,”
said Roddick, who has been joined at the tournament by his wife, SI Cover
girl Brooklyn Decker. “Competing does matter and
I’ve hung my hat on that for a long time.”
After a rocky second set that saw the Uzbek Istomin overwhelm him from
inside the baseline, Verdasco rediscovered his comfort level in the third
set, nailing big serves and forehands past his inexperienced foe.
The Spaniard broke Istomin at love to gain a 4-3 advantage in the third
set as the Uzbek sprayed a series of forehands outside of the court. Verdasco
then won the match when he rocketed a forehand down the line winner.
“He’s dangerous and both us were a little up and down,”
Verdasco said. “In the third set I knew I had to push more and make
him play, let him make winners and not make mistakes. Honestly I didn’t
expect to be here in the final”
The 96th ranked Istomin, who is the first man from Uzbekistan to crack
the top 100, was encouraged by his play but knows he still has miles to
go.
“I played well and tried to fight but I need to improve to beat
guys like this,” he said. “Everything he does is good and
he doesn’t give you any easy points.”
The seventh ranked Roddick leads the 11th ranked Verdasco 9-2 in their
head in head match-ups, winning their last contest in a third set tiebreaker
at the 2009 Canadian Open.
