Saturday, August 7, 2004
Real Roddick surfaces vs. Haas this time
Serving notice
By Dustin Dow
Enquirer staff writer
MASON - It was an unusual sight Friday, seeing Andy Roddick struggling early with his serve and down a service break to his quarterfinal opponent, Tommy Haas.
By the time the match ended, however, the result was more in line with what ATP Tour players are used to dealing with this summer: a two-set, 6-3, 6-3 Roddick win.
For the ninth time this year, Roddick has advanced to the semifinals as he attempts to defend his 2003 title in the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.
"It feels good," Roddick said. "I'm pretty confident right now, but that being said, I'm still wary of opponents."
He will play Andre Agassi at 8 p.m. today on Center Court, a match made in a tennis promoter's heaven.
"He's proven everyone wrong again with this week," Roddick said of the 11th-seeded Agassi's surprising run to the semifinals. "He's hitting the ball great again."
In beating the unseeded Haas, the second-seeded Roddick ended an 0-for-4 head-to-head advantage Haas held. Their previous three matches occurred on clay, where Roddick is least successful.
"I got him on my favorite conditions, in my element," Roddick said of the hard courts at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. "I think that had something to do with. He's gotten me on his element a couple times, and it was nice to return the favor."
Roddick beat Agassi for the first time in five tries last summer. It's possible Roddick could play Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Roddick is 1-3 against Hewitt, the lone win coming in June in the semifinals of the Queen's Club tournament in London.
"I don't look a whole lot into records," Roddick said. "They're great, and they're a fun stat, but a lot of times, there are totally different circumstances. But it's nice getting wins against people you haven't had success against in the past. There's no doubt."
Roddick has won 25 of his last 27 matches, the only two losses coming to No. 1-ranked Roger Federer, who lost here in the first round Tuesday.
Facing break point at 1-1 in the first set against Haas, Roddick double faulted and lost his first service game of the tournament, a span of 36 games at the time.
"I wasn't happy, because I felt like I didn't make him play enough to break me," Roddick said. "It's happened before. It will happen again. I'm sure. I just tried to regroup a little bit."
The players remained on serve for the next three games, but down 2-3, Roddick broke back when Haas hit a backhand into the net on Roddick's third break point.
Roddick went ahead by a service break three games later when Haas hit a volley into the net, giving Roddick a 5-3 advantage.
Leading 4-3 in the second set, Roddick made his most impressive service statement of the match, trailing love-30 in the game. In succession, Roddick fired a service winner and three straight aces to win the game. He finished with 11 aces and has held serve 43 of 44 games in the tournament.
"When I make a first serve and try to give it a ride, it's going to be a forceful shot on my opponent," Roddick said. "I was lucky enough to get them in and hit my spots on those points."
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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com
