Is it possible for Roddick to be judged fairly?

[iscottius]

There is so much Roddick talk on the board, the expectations are so high. He is a top 5 player and because of his ability to hold serve he will be in almost all of his matches. Being a top 5 player and winning a major is such a huge accomplishment.

He will only be considered sucessful if he is # 1 and wins more majors. The bar is set very high for him. This is also the bar that he has set for himself. tremendous pressure, this type of pressure can make a sucessful career feel like a failure.

That being said, the # 1 spot in tennis will be held by federer for as long as he wants it.

Can we look at Roddick for what he is a top 5 player with a huge serve and huge holes in his game & strategy?

 

[arodnadal]

I hope he will not always be known as what you have posted but rather someone who wins maybe like 3 or 4 grand slams
this is what i hope. I think he just is in a bad era.

 

[tytan]

he's just a top 5 player with a booming serve. that's all. in a different era, he might get a chance at being No.1 again...a painfully boring No.1 player in my opinion. the guy's all power, no finesse.

 

[barry]

He has been hyped as the greatest American player ever and has not lived up to it. Not his fault, but ESPN constant hype is old and stale.I think Roddick is a solid top 5 player, but ranks on my list 4th.
He should take the rest of the year off, and drop Davis cup, then regroup next year. I think he would become a better player, Hewitt went through the same thing and look how much better he is doing. Right now the pressure is killing Roddicks tennis interest!

 

[Andy Hewitt]

he's just a top 5 player with a booming serve. that's all. in a different era, he might get a chance at being No.1 again...a painfully boring No.1 player in my opinion. the guy's all power, no finesse.

Why does everyone always say this!? Because he HAS power? His game is as unique as anyone elses. I'll admit seeing his serve is boring but he has some nice looking rallies. Hits cool down the line shots, spin around hard hit winners, and super hard smashes. I just dont get this hating...

 

[nn]

Yeah people here thinks they are so much knowledgeable and played great tennis themselves that they decided Roddick is no good even considering he has won grand slam and many other major tournament.. I think world thinks different then what happens on such small message board.
I think there are many other pro who has achieved very less compare to Roddick but they never talk so much on MB. So it says how much popular Roddick is???

 

[|SLICER|]

American Tennis would be dead without him, crushed.

But I honestly don't see how anyone could dislike someone who plays as hard, and with as much passion, as A-Rod does.

Bottom line is, he's one of the best players in the game and has the skill to contend with anyone.

 

[Datacipher]

he's just a top 5 player with a booming serve. that's all. in a different era, he might get a chance at being No.1 again...a painfully boring No.1 player in my opinion. the guy's all power, no finesse.

He wouldn't have been no. 1 in any era. The dominant player of any era has not been as lacking in certain areas as Andy. I know that will sound like bashing to his fans, but to his fans, anything negative is "hating"

I'm not talking about volleys or backhand. I'm talking about balance, rhythm, footwork, feel......the only player I can think of who was a bit similar to Andy in these areas is Becker, Becker had more dimension and a much more full repertoire of strokes though....

I said a very long time ago, that I feared Roddick might go the way of Courier...but now he has a long long way to go just to get to Courier's level in the 1st place....his amazing serve will keep him in contention for a long time though and it's not true that Fed will keep the top spot for as long as he wants....things happen....his motivation might drop....injuries....no telling what could happen.

 

[Melissa]

I bet Datacipher has more balance, rythm, footwork, feel and even style than Roddick.
Roddick is a loser. If he wasn't lucky enough to have a good serve I bet Data would crush him love and love instead of just one and one.

 

[FiveO]

Admittedly I don't care for his playing style. However, I think the expectation bar was set exceedingly high for him. The fact that he has one a major and achieved the rankings he has, is a true accomplishment. His power is awesome and enviable. But against the TOP players who can get past his serve and into the point, he's vulnerable. He has improved his movement and his bh. But he's not a great mover and his backhand is still vulnerable. He has a poor transition game and the net still seems like a hot stove to him. To me, his return game is weak. As well as he CAN dominate on serve, he just can't seem to pressure his opponent's serve. I just don't see him improving any of those weaker elements in the near future.

To me his game is one dimensional. Hard and harder. While he has improved his consistency from the ground, and is extending rallies, it doesn't appear employed with the intent to point build, rather it looks more like Roddick is merely biding time til employing the hard/harder "strategy" again.

He reminds me of a deadly Great White shark, mindlessly going about his overpowering, one dimensional strategy, awesome. But against the cream of his intended prey, who have a big enough boat and the smarts to stay in it, he becomes vulnerable. While he will always have that puncher's chance, I think that more of the tour catches up to his pace, as the women's tour has already done with the sisters Williams, his opportunities will become fewer.

Barring something unforseen happening long term to Federer or Hewitt or Safin I see Roddick hovering in the 4 to 10 spots for several years. Much the way Chang or Rafter (one of my favorite players), did and Roddick could win another major in that time. Which will be a GREAT career.

 

[federerhoogenbandfan]

He is a major contender and the only American in the forseeable future that can be considered a member of the contending group. In that sense he is a success. The U.S expects too much of him since they expect too much of all their athletes. They think they should have the dominant athlete in every sport, and it just isnt as easy as they think it is.

 

[tennis-n-sc]

Slicer, great comments and my thoughts exactly.

 

[FalconX]

I don't dislike Roddick. What I dislike is the hype around him all the time in any tournament. And I hate his girl fan base too. And don't take this the wrong way I hate Kournikova worshipers with the same passion. I think it's bad for the image of tennis as a sport. I think tennis is better off being promoted as the sport of "badasses" like in past with McEnroe and Conners as opposed to now with fangirls/fanboys. And I think there are other talented American players who deserve as much much attention at least collectively.

 

[Noelle]

What I dislike is the hype around him all the time in any tournament. And I hate his girl fan base too.

Believe it or not, there are some females in the world who became his fans because of his tennis. The looks were secondary.

I'm one of those females.

 

[FalconX]

you know what I mean. I'm not generalizing.

 

[Haka Boy]

Speaking as a native of a country who doesn’t have a player ranked in the top 500 I cant help but think that the expectations of Roddick are just way too high. The media and fans have/had him hyped as the greatest American player ever. Can you all stop for a second and think of the pressure all this has on him. Today on SI sports there is an article titled “Raggedy Andy”, geez he just can’t win either way. In our part of the world we call it the “tall poppy syndrome”

Honestly I can’t say I’m a great fan of his but I admire what he has achieved for his very young age, that with the pressure placed upon him being the “new hope for America” placed on his shoulders.

I don’t care if he hasn’t a ranking of no 1 or 1000; he’s out there doing his best he can and to me he has achieved a great deal so far.

Whether you like or dislike his playing style the fact is to be ranked 3rd in the world IS a great achievement, which needs to be applauded, regardless of how many grand slams he’s won.

Tennis is an extremely competitive sport and it seems if he doesn’t achieve a number 1 ranking he will be a failure in many eyes, how sad is that.

 

[Ariel]

I bet Datacipher has more balance, rythm, footwork, feel and even style than Roddick.
Roddick is a loser. If he wasn't lucky enough to have a good serve I bet Data would crush him love and love instead of just one and one.

I should not honor Melissa's post with an answer, but I can't let it pass... NO ONE on this posts can compare with the #500 ATP ranked player... To think otherwise is dellusional... But we do not have to be able to beat a player to comment on his/her game. Please keep that in mind before rushing to post something like that. That is childish logic and any poster here will not be drag into a discussion of such low level.

 

[Haka Boy]

Well said Ariel

 

[Datacipher]

I should not honor Melissa's post with an answer, but I can't let it pass... NO ONE on this posts can compare with the #500 ATP ranked player... To think otherwise is dellusional... But we do not have to be able to beat a player to comment on his/her game. Please keep that in mind before rushing to post something like that. That is childish logic and any poster here will not be drag into a discussion of such low level.

Exactly Ariel....I wasn't going to dignify such a childish knee-jerk post with a response, but I'm glad you did. It's sure great to see someone field that kind of post with such well spoken maturity.

I'm sure it was clear, but as stated, I was comparing Roddick(and Becker)to dominant #1 players. Also, I in no way stated that Roddick was only a serve. I said his wonderful serve will keep him in contention for a long time. That's a compliment. I've said before, defending Roddick, that serve is the most important part of the game. I said in a previous post, that if the game were rally only, Roddick would struggle to be in the top 40(his forehand is a big weapon, but overall his baseline package would be vulnerable) BUT THE GAME IS NOT RALLY ONLY. The serve is the most important shot, if you could only have 1 great shot, pick the serve. I wouldn't fault anyone for having a serve good enough to take them far even if they really did have nothing else at all.

A person like Melissa probably cannot understand this, but I'm merely making the point that historically, qualities like timing, balance, versatility and feel were the most important aspects in great tennis. We lost sight of that a little bit as power became such a visible and dominant part of the game. Fed and Sampras though, have both proved that those other things haven't gone out of style.

Were I Roddick's coach, I would be working on those things as my main focus. Not his volley, not his backhand. Both those strokes and his forehand as well would be improved when the other qualities improved. A slight deficit in these things is what makes a touch more inconsistency creep into ARod's game. Andy's great when he gets the right balls, when he's forced to improvise more on the run or off balance, he'll start to look jerky and erratic. His improved fitness helped a lot, because then he could expend more energy making sure he got to the ball perfectly and set up well. But, he'll never beat the BEST guys off the ground(and he doesn't have to BEAT them off the ground, just hold even and let his serve make the difference) consistently unless he improves those things.....anyways I digress....and people dont' want to hear this anyways! lol

and of course, I do agree with the posters who point out that his achievments are all relative. He has a grand slam title, nobody can take that away. At the end of his career, I'll applaud him for that, even if he never gets another. But I speak of him with the idea in mind of him becoming one of the all time greats because that's what I assume he is trying to become and it is the next level for a young man who already has won a slam title to aspire to.

 

[edge]

IMHO, I think he has really improved his BH and has also added a slice BH and slice approach shot. This combo allowed him to beat Moya by coming in on Moya's weak BH pass. At least he is trying to improve before the other players really get a read on returning his serve like Federer has. The next big improvment area should be returning serve. He stays back too far and the attackers can have their day with him running him deep and coming in. If I was strategically playing Roddick, I would chip deep to the deuce corner forcing him wide and deep as he will be running to from his favorite position, the Ad corner. If Roodick replies down the line, a short chip to the service box pulls him in. If Roddick replies crosscourt, hit down the line and force him to pass with his weak BH. Too many players hit back to the AD corner and allow Roddick to control the point. I say make Roddick play his weakest shot on the run and you own him. This is what Federer does and this is how Sampras exposed Courier's weakness. After the other players saw this, Courier was done, he spiraled down fast. I think Roddick maintains his ranking because most of the tour players these days are strike zone baseliners without a full repetoire of shots.

 

[Chadwixx]

his grand slam title should have an asterik by it like barry bonds home run record. anyone who watched the open knows roddick was handed the title.

 

[NoBadMojo]

i think roddick is basically a good guy..i also think he is already an over acheiver in his career, and he isnt the great athlete that people purport him to be..i mean, he has been hitting huge volumes of balls since the age of 5 and still doesnt have any sort of volley? he also isnt the most athletic and best mover out there..he thumps when he runs..to me, he is more like the linebacker type and many of the pros are more like the wide receiver or cornerback type. i think this was just a case of the stars aligning perfectly for him..he's an anomoly. if he didnt accdently come upon the stick out your butt service motion or wouldnt have stumbled upon a racquet that serves like that, he may have been mired down to the journeyman level, alto he does have a huge heart to make up for some deficiencies..talentwise i think there are far more talented than him in the top100 or even top2oo.my .o2..no need to attack me.

 

[bee]

Yeah, his biggest problem is lack of a consitent volley.That's what he needs to work on more than anything. His attitude could use some work IMO. I've seen him at tournaments knocking over the microphones, pushing on the cameras and hitting the back wall with his racquet. This is self-centered childish behavior. Makes him seem spoiled. Tries to bully and snap at the umpires. Needs to work on that stuff. In interviews he seems like a decent guy, however. Hope he doesn't tear his rotator cuff like I did. He's not a bad fella, it will all work out.

 

[federerhoogenbandfan]

Datacipher, Roddick is highly unlikely to ever become one of the all-time greats.
Giving an accurate accessment of his abilities, he has about a 1 out of 100 chance to reach such heights. 4 slams is a generous estimate to him, and he would need atleast 7 or 8 to even be in consideration as an all-timer.

 

[RoddickSafin]

Ok ok depsite my name being Roddick Safin i like them because they are cool guys alrite? Shut up about it.
Anyway Roddick is a good guy he will go into the hall of fame (see Yannick Noah). He has the fastest serve in history and im tired of hearing that he is only a serve and quesitonably a forehand. Ive seen him hit amazing backhand passes...well not amazing but very good ones. I honestly think that he came at a bad time...federer? the greatest player alive era. Too bad mr. agassi had the same with sampras. So there is federer at the top and then marat hewitt and roddick can all beat each other on good days.
BTW Chadwick: Yea im sure roddick was handed the title. He beat a VERY tough Ljucbici in an exciting match. Then he was down match point against nalbandian down two sets and actaully pulled it off. That and he played henman the first round? or sometime i forgot. Anyway he was NOT handed the title ass.

 

[RoddickSafin]

Except for the ferrero part...but ferrero must be exhausted after an agassi beating but he still put up a good fight.

 

[35ft6]

He has been hyped as the greatest American player ever and has not lived up to it.

I don't know if you're being facetious, but I've never heard him being described as such.

Not his fault, but ESPN constant hype is old and stale.

I know what you're saying, but I hope they hype him up even more. That's the only way tennis will become more popular in the USA, by hyping up American players. Sad but true. Likewise, if you're promoting Tour de France coverage on American TV, you'd best be showing Armstrong.

The thing about Roddick is how much room for improvement there is in his game. He's got junior level skill and he's already been number 1 in the world. One could easily argue that he's not half the player he's capable of becoming. Of course, one could easily argue that he's already peaked and overachieved.

 

[Yours!05]

I bet Datacipher has more balance, rythm, footwork, feel and even style than Roddick.
Roddick is a loser. If he wasn't lucky enough to have a good serve I bet Data would crush him love and love instead of just one and one.

Great reality check Melissa!

 

[Datacipher]

Datacipher, Roddick is highly unlikely to ever become one of the all-time greats.
Giving an accurate accessment of his abilities, he has about a 1 out of 100 chance to reach such heights. 4 slams is a generous estimate to him, and he would need atleast 7 or 8 to even be in consideration as an all-timer.

I tend to agree.

 

[tennissavy]

Roddick will probably be a "one slam wonder" as more and more players learn how to neutralize his serve. I do agree with some here that his backhand is just not a real weapon and I wonder if that has something to do with his reportedly light weight racquet of 11.5ozs. It is fine for his serve and forehand but his backhand is perhaps too compact to really punish the ball. It might improve if he adds more weight to the racquet but perhaps he has tried that and found that it detracts from the rest of his game, I don't know. However, it seems that he will drop more in the rankings and cease to be a major factor. It is too bad for US male tennis as we currently have no exciting prospects who have emerged on the pro tennis scene.

 

[|SLICER|]

Roddick will probably be a "one slam wonder" as more and more players learn how to neutralize his serve. I do agree with some here that his backhand is just not a real weapon and I wonder if that has something to do with his reportedly light weight racquet of 11.5ozs. It is fine for his serve and forehand but his backhand is perhaps too compact to really punish the ball. It might improve if he adds more weight to the racquet but perhaps he has tried that and found that it detracts from the rest of his game, I don't know. However, it seems that he will drop more in the rankings and cease to be a major factor. It is too bad for US male tennis as we currently have no exciting prospects who have emerged on the pro tennis scene.

I see A-rod on the way up.

Take out Federer and he is a legit world #1.

Roddick has holes in his game, but look at him 1-2 years ago, not close to the level he is playing now. But everyone else is getting better also; a good group of young players right now.

Plus, extraordinary players pinnacles tend to last more than a year, and Roddick(skill wise) has yet to hit his.

I think the most powerful serve game in history will keep him a "major factor". He has undoubtedly the best all around serve arsenal in the game.

 

[federerhoogenbandfan]

Actually it is not a clear fact if you take Fed out Roddick is a legit world #1. Hewitt has supplanted him as world #2, having beaten him their last three meetings, and with his early exit in Miami Safin could overtake him with a good tournament. There is a good argument he is the legit world #4 right now. In any case Fed is there, he isnt going to dissapear so players will have to deal with him.

 

[|SLICER|]

Actually it is not a clear fact if you take Fed out Roddick is a legit world #1. Hewitt has supplanted him as world #2, having beaten him their last three meetings, and with his early exit in Miami Safin could overtake him with a good tournament. There is a good argument he is the legit world #4 right now. In any case Fed is there, he isnt going to dissapear so players will have to deal with him.

Legitimate just means that it is not unreasonable to consider Roddick world #1, minus Fed. Hewitt and Safin would also be legit #1.

I just took out Federer to emphasize the miniscule gaps in the world 2-3-4 spots.

 

[snowpuppy]

Is it possible for Roddick to be judged fairly? Hell no. Him and hewitt has been hated on in this board like there is no tomorrow. I honestly think player like sampras and federer just set too high of a bar for all other players. As soon as someone in this board put the words great and roddick together, every other person in the board will start shooting those two living legend's name down the poster throat.

Obviously with the departure of sampras and with andre becoming of age, US needs a new tennis hero, someone to continue to be an inspriation to US tennis youths and fans. It is only reasonable for the media to start kissing his @$$. But every tennis knows he will probably not breathing the same air as sampras and andre at the end of his career. If you really want to hate his hype hate espn.

As far as his game being boring? Not really IMHO. You can see he pours his heart and emotions on to the court. He is energetic and explosive. If you can consider federer's game like classical music, I would consider roddick as rock music. He rips a shot like no other. One dimension? Yes, but can be say about other players. Hewitt, nalbandian are just flat out counter punchers. Point is not everyone can cover all aspect of the game that well, not everyone is federer.

Finally on his athletic abilities. Are you kidding me? You need to be athletic enought to hit shot like him. He might not be the most graceful or technically sound mover across the court, but from what i've seen, he can zoom across the court pretty damn fast.

He gives a lot on the court and from what i hear very nice off the court. I seriously wish people stop bashing him that much.

 

[federerhoogenbandfan]

If he rips a shot like no other I doubt he would regularly have players younger than him, in the last 8 months, like Nadal, Verdasco, Ancic, have more clean winners than him whenever they play him.

 

[Datacipher]

He gives a lot on the court and from what i hear very nice off the court. I seriously wish people stop bashing him that much.

Snowpuppy, there certainly are die hard Roddick bashers and lovers on this board, but most of the people on this thread have been quite reasonable. In fact, most have made the same points you did. There's always going to be a couple idiots of either extreme persuasion who have to get their cheap shots in sadly.

 

[snowpuppy]

Just because he rips them doesn't mean all his shots should be winners just like just because he had the fastest serve doesn't mean he has the best service game.

 

[RoddickSafin]

snowpuppy well said up there.