Archives for January 2012

Murray gives a master class

Marathon man: Isner proves his mettle

Two different Serbians, same goals

What’s happening at the Aussie Open Thursday Jan 19

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BY MATT CRONIN FROM MELBOURNE

Former No. 1 Andy Roddick changed his off season routine to focus on recovery as he suffered shoulder and abdominal injuries during parts of 2011 and dropped out of the year-end top 10 for the first time in nine years. On Thursday night against Lleyton Hewitt in the 2nd round, his hopes of great 2012 health burst when he retired while trailing 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 with a right hamstring injury against Lleyton Hewitt. Four-time Australian semifinalist Roddick said he suffered a similar injury while training in December. and believes he hyper extended it.

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TR Retro: Aussie 2005, Hewitt Out-Toughs Roddick Again

 

In the end, it was much like the beginning of their rivalry – not much of one. For the fourth time in five matches, Lleyton Hewitt made Andy Roddick look downright ordinary in the clutch, brilliantly seizing two tiebreakers from the world’s fastest server en route to 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory Friday and advancing to the Australian Open final.

Roddick appeared to have the match solidly in his control up until the second set tiebreaker, bombing ace after ace, adeptly moving his backhand around and making some sound decisions as to when to rush the net. But Hewitt seriously stepped up his level in the second set breaker and beyond, crushing big first serves, hammering his once weaker forehand and daring Roddick to go for too much on the big points.

The supremely focused Hewitt now will attempt to become the first Australian man to win here since Mark Edmondson in 1976, when he confronts Russian Marat Safin. “Obviously, Marat’s beaten the best player going around. He’s playing extremely well. I’m going to have to raise my level yet again and see what happens,” Hewitt said.

Even though he had the tour’s best tiebreak record amongst elite players last year, Roddick appears to have lost his touch when sudden death rolls along. In the Davis Cup final, he dropped critical breakers to both Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya and against Hewitt, he inexplicably lost his focus. In the third set, Roddick let go of a 4-2 lead when he double faulted twice to 4-4. In the breaker, Hewitt crushed a backhand return of serve that the on-rushing couldn’t scoop up to grab a 5-4 lead. Then Roddick then missed a negotiable return and saw Hewitt whip a backhand passing shot by him to grab the set.

The American completely collapsed in the fourth set and it is now clear that despite what the rankings say, Roddick;s the world’s No. 4 behind Roger Federer, Hewitt and Marat Safin.

What’s Happening at the Australian Open, Tuesday, Jan. 17

FOR TENNISREPORTERS.NET SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

FROM MATT CRONIN IN MELBOURNE

The tournament has scheduled women

Sharapova smashes Dulko

Young US women rally at Aussie Open

WHAT

FROM MATT CRONIN IN MELBOURNE

The tournament has scheduled women

Roddick will crawl before he sprints