"It's Tough to Lie" – Roddick Exits French Open
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It was Andy Roddick’s most famous public pronouncement.
Before his showdown confrontation with the then-emerging Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick infamously said, “I’ve got to feel good, he’s got 16 injuries right now…back and hip…bird flu, anthrax, SARS.” Now, almost four years later, it’s as if Roddick’s feisty words are turning on him. The great American warrior has struggled with a bad back, a hamstring injury and abdomen problems. His body is betraying him. Or more exactly, it is showing his age and the results of 12 years of (not so light on his feet) pounding on the unforgiving circuit.
Yes, America’s once mighty warrior scored a memorable, feel-good win in April in Miami over Roger Federer, his arch-nemesis. But then he promptly lost his next match to Juan Monaco and then was of the circuit until last week in Dusseldorf where he lost three matches and failed to win a set.
Fortunately for the twenty-nine year old, who was seeded 26th in the French Open, his opening round opponent, Nicolas Mahut, was not that great a threat. The journeyman Frenchman – known, of course, for his marathon Wimbledon loss to John Isner – is hardly a dirtmeister. In nine appearances at the French Open he had lost eight times. He had played just one clay court match this year and his ranking was an unimposing 88. He had lost all four of his previous matches to Roddick.
But then again Roddick has suffered greatly in Paris. He got to the fourth round just once (in ’09) and he has struggled particularly on what has to be his least favorite court in the world – Suzanne Lenglen Stadium. Roddick showed some fight in his 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 loss. He came back to win the third set and was up a break early in the fourth. Plus, he refused to blame his woes on his injuries, but offered an unsparing analysis on his quickness. “I move just horrendously out here,” he said. “My first step is just so bad on this stuff. I feel like I’m always shuffling or hopping or not stopping or something. So my footwork on this stuff now is just really bad …it sucks … Just from the first ball to get set I just feel like I get exposed too easily out here. I feel like I’m not set on most shots … When you don’t have much of a flow going, it lends itself to sporadic play …You can’t fake it out here. These are the best tournaments in the world. It’s tough to lie out here. My footwork on this stuff is really, really bad.”
Now there is a chance the Texan, who’s ranked No. 33, will go into Wimbledon unseeded and could face anyone in the first round.
In the bigger picture one wonders how much longer America’s great fighter will be able to go on fighting. We know his once fierce serve does not have the bite it once did. His forehand no longer pins opponents like it once did. In some ways he’s now a counter puncher. He is hardly feared like he was for years.
But the man has a heart like few others knows many a big stage (Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open) soon will beckon. But unfortunately, we can’t lie, Andy’s best days (and they were sweet) are behind him. ***
SO MUCH FOR “NEVER ON SUNDAY”: Roddick has suffered many a tough loss on Sundays including three defeats in finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. But this is the first time he’s lost on the first Sunday of a Slam, before it seemed the tournament even got going.
ILLUSIVE SERENA: When IT asked Roddick whether he was going to play mixed doubles with Serena, Andy told us to, “Ask her. I can’t get ahold of her. If you see her, ask her for me.” BTW: If the duo do play at the Olympics, they will be the most interesting mixed doubles team to play at Wimbledon since John McEnroe and Steffi Graf teamed up.
THE ITALIAN JOB: An Italian reporter had this curious dialogue with Roddick: Q. You had so many reasons for expecting more or less that things could be not as great as you would have expected, so maybe you shouldn’t been so bothered by it. I understand it’s not easy to accept defeat. It’s difficult all the time. But this time you have a lot of reasons for more or less expecting that, or not? Because we see that you were very, very angry with yourself, the situation, you just came out of the court. But is it such a big surprise for you to be in this situation of a loser right now? And the second question is first time Andy Roddick comes in press room No. 2. I’m very surprised. I think you’re a big champion and they should respect you more.
ANDY RODDICK: Wow. Bet you guys wish you could write down what I was thinking during that, right? (Laughter.) This is the point where the older, better version of myself takes a second.
You know, you deal with your emotions and I’ll deal with mine. I’ve done it long enough to know what feels good and what doesn’t. That out there did not feel good.
So as much as I appreciate your best Tony Robbins impersonation, I’m going to handle this how I want to.
And as far as what press room I’m in, I really, really just don’t care at all what press room I’m in. That’s not important to me.
* SOUTHERN COMFORT: While Texan Roddick was sent packing, his fellow Southerner, Atlantan Melanie Oudin, scored a feel-good 6-3, 6-3 win over fellow twenty-year old, Johanna Larsson. Oudin, who is training with the USTA is trending upward. She recently won a challenger tournament in Charlottesville. Q. You had so many reasons for expecting more or less that things could be not as great as you would have expected, so maybe you shouldn’t be so bothered by it. I understand it’s not easy to accept defeat. It’s difficult all the time. But this time you have a lot of reasons for more or less expecting that, or not? Because we see that you were very, very angry with yourself, the situation, you just came out of the court. But is it such a big surprise for you to be in this situation of a loser right now? And the second question is first time Andy Roddick comes in press room No. 2. I’m very surprised. I think you’re a big champion and they should respect you more.
