Flying Under the Radar at Wimbledon

Wimbledon Day 2
R128: Roddick def Schwank 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(0)

It's possible to be outplayed the entire match and still walk away with a straight set win, which is what Andy did vs Eduardo Schwank in his first round match at Wimbledon. Even though the scoreline was tight and Schwank showed some great shot-making abilities, I don't think anyone felt that Andy was in danger of losing the match. Andy's experience in big matches and playing the big points better is the only reason he won, not because he played better than Schwank (although Andy's serving was very good). Andy did what he usually does in early rounds vs low-ranked players: serve big and then wait around for his opponent's unforced errors and the inevitable choke. Unfortunately this tactic works most of the time, which only encourages Andy to continue to play so passively. Then when he meets a more determined or experienced player in a later round, he loses because his defensive game doesn't work anymore. This is why I hate so-called "easy" draws for Andy, it makes him play lazy. Needless to say, I'm not happy with Andy's tactics, and quite frankly if he plays the same way vs Janko Tisparevic tomorrow in the second round Andy can book his flight home. Even his former coach, Brad Gilbert, who is back commentating on ESPN2, was unimpressed and couldn't understand why Andy still plays so defensively and doesn't take more chances when he's holding serve so easily. Why didn't he try coming to the net more just to get in some practice? Andy says he won't take Tipsarevic lightly. He said the same thing about Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Australian Open this year and look how that turned out. Sorry for the rant but I'm annoyed at Andy's stubborness in refusing to change-up his tactics, or learn from past mistakes that he keeps making over and over again. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Andy arrives with Martina Navratilova at the All England Club on June 23, 2008 in London, England. (WireImage) (right-click for larger image)

Then again, the bad play could have all just been nerves: "First round matches are always a little uncomfortable at any slam. It's just new surroundings, normally have the week before to get all hyped up and it's a battle with nerves," said Roddick. "It's a battle with kind of anxiety and wanting to get out there and start. So it's never really that comfortable."

One fan made a more optimistic observation: "Having watched the match while listening to Radio Wimbledon, I did not think that Andy played badly. I think he played what was necessary to dispatch Schwank in straight sets - no more no less. Andy always has these weird struggles against players he has never faced before -- Janko should be a different story since they have previously played at Wimbledon."

Just before Andy's first match the BBC reported this fun tidbit:

"Just been over to the practice courts to conduct what turned out to be a tortuous interview for all concerned with fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. Flagging spirits and wounded egos were soothed by watching Andy Roddick show off some outrageous left-handed shots in a Kevin Pietersen-esque switch-hitting manner."

Andy and Tipsarevic are third up on Centre Court tomorrow after Venus Williams' and Andy Murray's matches. You can listen to the matches via Radio Wimbledon or several available live streams.

Related videos: "Rested Roddick could make a run" [MSNBC Sports]
Andy's ESPN studio interview with Chris Fowler and Patrick McEnroe [ESPN]

Related articles:
"Injury forces Roddick to reign in serve" [ESPN]
"Despite tantrum, Roddick ready for Wimbledon" [SignsOnSanDiego]

What are Andy's chances of going deep at Wimbledon?

Let's ask media-shy John McEnroe what he thinks:

While less than convinced by the players ranked four and five in the world, John McEnroe does believe his fellow American and world number six Andy Roddick could spring a surprise at the All England Club.

The big-hitting 25-year-old has pedigree on the grand slam stage, winning the 2003 US Open and twice finishing as runner-up to Federer at Wimbledon in recent years, and McEnroe insists that Roddick will be a dark horse for the title if all the pieces fall into place when play begins next Monday.

'[Roddick] is written off quite a bit, but at the same time he's still been ranked five, six for the past five years,' he said.

'When it comes to grass, he's got the hardest serve I've ever seen anyone hit. He's got a very loose arm; he's got that huge forehand. So he's got that puncher's chance to win another major - win a Wimbledon. Most guys can't say that. He's one of a handful of guys [who can win the title].'

Let's see what other tennis pundits think:

Tennis Forum: Wimbledon Preview Parts One and Three
WERTHEIM: Does anyone see a player outside "The Triad" winning? Should Andy Roddick be in the conversation?
BOUIN: Why not?. He impressed me in Davis Cup against our French team and impressed me even in Rome on clay before he got hurt. But strangely enough, I think his game has improved in a direction that will not help him on grass.
BIERLEY: As Rafa demonstrated at Queens: keep the ball in play and Andy will bury it is the net sooner or later.
CLAREY: I think Roddick is in the conversation, but he's going to have to grab the microphone, hold onto it with both hands and hope that laryngitis strikes one or more of the top three. Personally, I think Roddick's best chance of winning a second Slam will come in New York at the U.S. Open, where the big three will be weary after Beijing.
TEBBUTT: I disagree. Roddick has the hammer for Wimby. He doesn't have to hit as many groundstrokes and can slip into the event after his loss to Rafa at Queen's.
BOUIN: Roddick has to be careful: Richard Gasquet is trying the same gambit: no Olympics in order to prepare for New York.
WERTHEIM: Gasquet? Name rings a bell.
BOUIN: A little bell, like the one around the cat's neck, or Big Ben?
CLAREY: I think Roddick will take the odds and Gasquet over a fully rested hardcourt field.
WERTHEIM: The US Open will be decided by jet-lag medication.
CLAREY: Absolutely Jon - the wonders of tennis scheduling.
WERTHEIM: I see that Brad Gilbert is returning to the ESPN booth. Hate to say it, but chart Murray's demise with the timing of Gilbert's exit from the Murray camp.
CLAREY: It certainly looks that way. Andy Roddick has yet to win another Slam since Brad left his employ. Coincidence? Perhaps. Gilbert's departure also happened to coincide with the real rise of Roger Federer in the men's game, which would have happened whether Gilbert was coaching Andy or not. What do you think of Murray's chances Steve?
WERTHEIM: What about Steve's other point? There does seem to be this dirty secret of contentment in the men's game. I wonder how many players are secretly okay with winning their $800k, reaching the odd semi and saying "too good" to the Big Three.
CLAREY: Roddick strikes me as somebody who's still hungry and still eager to challenge. He just has limited means when confronting an all-time great like Federer, although he has beaten that all-time great this season. But burning ambition is not so palpable among the rest of the chase pack. It will take fresh legs and unscarred psyches to challenge the hydra.

Jon Wertheim: Wimbledon Men's Seed Report
Andy Roddick: Top American has dropped out of the conversation a bit since Miami. The lingering effects of his shoulder injury are a cause for concern as was last week's loss to Nadal. But given Roddick's past success on grass, his fine play in 2008 and a favorable draw, there's a big opportunity here.

Matthew Cronin: 10 anxious men, Can anyone stop a Federer-Nadal three-peat?
Andy Roddick: With a huge serve and a love of fast courts, he’s the obvious No. 4 favorite, but a bum shoulder kept him out of Paris and who knows if it will hold? Scored his first win over Fed in nearly five years and can fire his way past Nadal and Djokovic on grass on a great day, but clearly is behind The Big 3 and can only prove he belongs by putting up a significant result.

Matthew Cronin, FoxSports.com
Andy Roddick: The American sees himself as one of the top five picks, and rightfully so. He owns the biggest serve on tour, volleys better than he used to, and firmly believes that if not for Federer, he could have pocketed a couple Wimbledon crowns of his own. His return of serve is his greatest weakness, but if he can hold serve a ton and keeping moving forward on his own terms, the semifinals should be his. He might have to play fellow American James Blake in the fourth round, but his Davis Cup teammate has never won three rounds in England and is unsure of himself on the surface. Roddick's quarterfinal foe might be No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, but the Russian is incompetent on grass and won't likely get there. All signs point a Roddick-Nadal semifinal, and by then the American should have enough matches under his belt to make a big push. But if Nadal is cutting loose on his forehand and getting enough returns into play, Roddick's best probably won't be good enough.

Bud Collins, MSNBC
Andy Roddick might catch fire but his right shoulder is questionable and if he makes the semifinals and it’s Nadal who’s across the net from him, does the American win that encounter? Nadal has won three of their five career clashes, including the only one they have waged on grass – that being at Queen’s Club this summer.

Nick Bollettieri's picks
If it isn't Federer or Nadal, the obvious next choice for the favorite is Novak Djokovic. He had Nadal on the ropes in the first set in the finals at Queen's Club but couldn't close it out. If he wants to win this title, he cannot let those kind of opportunities slip away from him. After Djokovic, you have guys like David Ferrer, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick, David Nalbandian, James Blake, Richard Gasquet and Andy Murray. Out of those men, Roddick, if healthy, has the best chance of being a serious threat.If the seeds hold, Nadal will face Andy Roddick in the semifinals. These two just met at Queen’s Club with Nadal winning in straight sets. Roddick’s bum shoulder kept him out of Roland Garros, and he is going to need it to be healthy to get this far. If they play, I know I will be watching this one!

Peter Bodo: Plenty to win, and lose, at Wimbledon
Andy Roddick: Starting in 2003, he lost in the semifinal and two finals (to Federer), then crashed out in the third round and in last year's quarterfinals. Neither of those was the evil "bad loss," but still. Earlier this year, Roddick's results suggested that he's still a contender for Grand Slam titles on any surface but clay, but if he squanders this opportunity on a surface that likes his serve-based game, the doubts will arise anew.

Steve Tignor: Forecasting the Fortnight
Third Quarter: Not getting bumped up in the seedings worked out pretty well for Andy Roddick. He ended up across from Nikolay Davydenko, and in a soft-looking section of that quarter to boot—Roddick's fourth-round opponent might be James Blake. The question is: Who’s coming out of the other side? I refuse to bet on Davydenko, but that leaves, who? Mathieu? Ljubicic? I'm glad I don’t have to pick that one, because I think Roddick will beat whomever it is. Semifinalist: Andy Roddick

ESPN Wimbledon chat with Bonnie Ford and Greg Garber
Q: People keep weighing in on another Nadal/Federer final, but who that you see could trip either one up along the way?
FORD: Djokovic has to be in the discussion, along with Roddick.
Q: Do you think that there were players who got an unfavorable seed?
FORD: Personally, I'm not clear on how Davydenko could be seeded above Roddick when Roddick is a two-time finalist here and Davydenko has never been past the fourth round... the committee here has the option to factor in grass court performance but didn't. They're in the same quarter, as you probably saw, so it may be moot in the end.
Q: What was the LTA/All England club thinking seeding Davydenko 4th? I know the 5th ranked player in the world (Ferrer) is another clay-courter, and that people seem to love to hate Roddick, but if gambling were legal...I'm pretty sure my money would be on Roddick 10/10 times against Davydenko on grass, so why not move him up?
FORD: Totally agree with you.
Q: Which USA tennis player is coming into Wimbledon riding the most momentum?
GARBER: The answer is Roddick (semifinals at Queen's) and Blake (semis at Halle). Coincidentally, they both are up about now. Roddick is up 3-2 on serve against Schwank, Blake follows Lindsay Davenport, who just won her first set against Voracova.
Q: Andy Roddick has no chance, he is the most over rated tennis player in the world!
GARBER: This is a sentiment we hear quite often. The kid WON the US Open and played Federer decently in two finals here. He's seeded No. 6 here, which is about right. How is that overrated?
Q: Who comes out of the lower half of the quarter to challenge Roddick (as many suspect)?
FORD: Not sure who suspects what there, Andrew, but I think IF Ljubicic can keep it together -- and that's a big IF -- that would be an entertaining match. It's unfortunate for US fans that Blake is in the same 1/8.
Q: Will Roddick ever win another major? Can he win the US, it seems to be his best surface? The competition my be right for him to make a run.
FORD: It's one of the more interesting questions in tennis. I think he will, although the window is shrinking and he knows it.
Q: Does Roddick have a chance this year?
FORD: Getting this question a lot -- it will probably boil down to him and Nadal in the semis. Interestingly, they have played the last four finals here.
Q: I just don't understand why american men have such troubles in these tournys...r they that weak with their games or is it the surface or what????
GARBER: Roddick HAS been to four Grand Slam finals, two of them here. Blake,considering his terrific talent, probably has underachieved, but with three great players who have distanced themselves from the field, it's tough to break through.

Andy is one of the best players never to have won Wimbledon

How reassuring. Here's hoping one day Andy can become one of those miserable two-slam wonders instead.

JustJared.com is Just Dandy with the Broddick photos

Click here to see more photos of their coffee run!

Photo caption: Andy Roddick and his fiancée Brooklyn Decker pop into a coffee shop in Wimbledon town center on Tuesday. (right-click for larger image)

Andy's Outside magazine scans

Related video: "Andy Roddick: Behind the Scenes" [Outside Online]

Grass Recovery

Updated June 15, 2008

Andy's Studio Interview with Sue Barker and Greg Rusedski

I wrote a short review of the matches in Halle and Queens over here on Craig's blog.

Happy Father's Day to those celebrating it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted June 10, 2008

I can't believe the Halle and Queen's grass tournaments are already starting, I've barely recovered from the Roland Garros drama. Forget the players, tennis fans deserve a break from tennis, especially after such an emotionally draining grand slam. I'm still gobsmacked by the Nadal-Federer final. In a word: wow.

But, yippee! Andy Roddick will be back in action tomorrow! He's first up on Centre Court with good friend Robby Ginepri. The matches start at 12:30PM local time (7:30AM EST here in the U.S.). You can watch a livestream of all the day's matches on the BBC's website here.

The Stella Artois Championships now also have their own YouTube account so if you can't view the videos on their website (as I can't, because I'm on a Mac, and that's a sin), Stella Artois is now uploading them onto YouTube. Yay!

So how's the shoulder?

The word on Andy's shoulder sounds encouraging but nobody really knows for sure until he plays. Robby has been on a bit of a hot streak lately (he was the last American man standing at Roland Garros, finally breaking the clay jinx and making it into the fourth round. He's our clay hero!) but the good news is that Andy usually comes out playing strong when he hasn't picked up a racket in a while; all that pent-up energy is just waiting to burst out onto the court. So even though Robby can play Andy tough, I think Andy will prevail in his first match since retiring from the Rome semifinals a few weeks ago. Looking a bit further down the draw, there's a potential tantalizing quarterfinal match with Andy Murray.

Related article: "Queens champ Roddick gathers himself for record fifth title – and the Wimbledon dream." [Scotsman]

Related video: "Relaxed Roddick happy to be back at Queen's" [BBC]


Tennis.com reports:

Andy Roddick is hitting with Richard Gasquet, sans cap but with new coach Guillaume Peyre, who's had plenty of experience teaming with another highly talented though seemingly mentally fragile artisan, Marcos Baghdatis. They play a few games and finish things off with a tiebreak. Peyre let's out a "magnifique'' when a forehand winner gets things going. The joy is short lived and Roddick, popping his serve, prevails 7-2.

Afterward, John Roddick is free to chat; the Roddick team arrived in England a few days ago. A combination of shoulder and back injuries kept brother Andy out of Roland Garros and Hamburg.

"Andy's just been practising, working hard, rehabbing his shoulder a little bit,'' John Roddick says. "Schedule wise it's just been a lot of training, so nothing really fancy. I mean, you saw him, he was serving really well. The only worry is if it creeps back a little bit or regresses, but it is what it is.''

The shoulder still gets tired, although the soreness is gone.

"Well, I think he's there, but it's just a matter of going out now and seeing,'' he continues when asked if the shoulder is 100 percent. "Today was really good in that he was able to serve as good as he did. And actually I think it's helped him with his location because he slowed it down and didn't serve big for a while. Now all of a sudden his location is really good.''
.............

A serious foodie, Ginepri joined Roddick and Fish at the noted Mr. Chow's restaurant in west London.

Who else was surprised to hear that Andy was practicing with Mr. "I don't want to play Andy in Davis Cup" Gasquet?

And Charles Bricker says:

Andy Roddick arrived in London, fully fit after his back problem in Rome, and ready to begin his Wimbledon quest at the Queens Club warmup tournament this week. After beating Federer at Key Biscayne and (presumably) watching Nadal take him down in Paris, there is no reason why Roddick shouldn't arrive at the All England Club thinking a Grand Slam title is within his grasp.

Andy and Brooklyn caught red-handed walking on the streets of London!

JustJared.com strikes Broddick gold again with these new paparazzi photos of Andy and Brooklyn leaving Nobu restaurant in London. Andy's jeans have no holes in them, he's wearing a very nice maroon shirt, and his hairline is starting to recede. Brooklyn is wearing a really cute outfit while carrying a really cool handbag. I give them an A+ for their cutesy coupledom. Aww. (right-click for larger photo)

A walk down memory lane

Remember around this time last year when Andy made a hilarious guest turn on Jonathan Ross' show? If you missed it, here it is again. Watch Andy Murray's recent appearance on the same show and tell me who you think Mr. Ross would invite back in a heartbeat?

Confirmed: Andy and Brooklyn Are Engaged

updated April 3, 2008

"I think I lost half my fan base today."
—Andy, on his engagement.

Still in shock?

So am I. Andy's been full of surprises this year with Connors leaving then Andy beating Nadal and Djokovic to win Dubai on his debut there, then he decides not to go to Beijing for the Olympics, and now he's suddenly engaged. Not that I'm complaining, I'm enjoying this sudden unpredictability and him keeping us guessing. Maybe he'll have some more surprises in store for us as the year progresses.

I think I'm more stunned by how the media jumped on the news of the engagement, not just in the U.S. either. Making the front pages of Yahoo! (Brooklyn was the #1 searched-for celeb that day), CNN, Sports Ilustrated, Metro UK, the ATP, UPI news, and every gossip/celebrity blog that's out there? Come on. Think maybe the press overreacted just a bit? I mean, in U.S. sports Andy is small potatoes, it's not like he's Tom Brady dating supermodel Giselle. That the media pounced on this non-story and ran with it shows just how warped our society has become with its focus on celebrity culture. People have become obsessed with celebrity weddings/babies, etc. and in this day and age pretty much anybody is deemed a celebrity, it doesn't matter if you're just a C-list wannabe or a reality TV "star". Even high-priced prostitutes become "stars" in this day and age. Pfft.

"Never underestimate the allure of escapism," someone said. You got that right. Crazy times.



And I can't believe that People magazine actually showed up during his postmatch interview to ask about the engagement. WTF? Roddick himself admitted that he was kind of freaked out by all the attention this has gotten. I would be, too.

A. Roddick def I. Minar 7‑6, 6‑4

An interview with: ANDY RODDICK

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. From People Magazine.
ANDY RODDICK: Oh.

Q. It's begun. It started.
ANDY RODDICK: Thanks for breaking the news. Appreciate it.

Q. We wanted to know how you popped the question, where you were? Did you get down on one knee and what kind of ring you had. Just little details like that?
ANDY RODDICK: Just little details I'll probably keep to myself. It's our business. It was nice. I got down on a knee, but I think the details we'll keep close to our family and friends. Thanks.

Q. Do you have at least a date that you did it?
ANDY RODDICK: Couple weeks ago.

Q. So does it feel any different to be an engaged man other than, you know, questions in People Magazine and all that?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. I think so. I think it's a life choice, so it is a bit different. I think I lost half my fan base today.

Q. You did. I think so.
ANDY RODDICK: No, but, you know, I'm happy, and, you know, Ivo Minar played the same way. I don't think he really cared. (laughter.)
That was my main concern today.

Q. I think he was trying to give you an easy win.
ANDY RODDICK: Then I'll take it. Apparently I should have done it sooner, then.

THE MODERATOR: Are there any tennis questions, by chance?
.........................

Q. You know what the ups and downs are of being in the spotlight, and I know Brooklyn has been in the spotlight herself. But do you feel like she knows what she's in for?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. You know, she's a very, very smart girl, so I think ‑‑ I think so. But, you know, to be honest, I think it's big news today. I don't know if it will be big news next week.

Q. Are you and Mardy going to share wedding planning tips and stuff?
ANDY RODDICK: Hopefully that's ‑‑ I was just trying to take heat off Mardy. Hopefully they can talk wedding plans and maybe we can go do golf or something.

Q. Who introduced you?
ANDY RODDICK: Guys, let's get to tennis, please.

Roddick's engagement wasn't news to Justin Gimelstob, the former pro from Delray Beach who is close to Roddick.

The Sun-Sentinel blog reports:

"I love Brooklyn. My girl friend and I double-date with her and Andy all the time in New York. She's a sweetheart. Andy is happy and, as a friend, that's all. . .you know. . .She's beautiful, fun, laid-back, athletic, loves sport, comes from a really nice family. She's like a perfect fit. She's just as nice as she is pretty," said Gimelstob.

So between Andy's engagement and Mikhail Youzhny acting like a crazy man and bashing his head in with his racket (which actually made YouTube's top featured video), tennis has gotten some good(?) exposure in the mainstream press this week.

Brooklyn also made it onto the SI Pop Culture Hot List.

What People are Saying About the Engagement

Below is a collection of real quotes I've taken from people, fans, non-fans and other interested parties, posting on various message boards and blogs, discussing the Roddick-Decker engagement. I am using their initials only so as not to embarrass anyone but I thought the passionate reactions of all who cared enough to comment was interesting to see.

RG: Why is he in such a rush to get married??? she just met her like a few months ago!!! god andy.....

DB: All I know is, it's a gorgeous ring so whoever picked it out has props from me.

WH: I prefer square-cut diamonds.

MG: Can't believe Andy would be tamed so easily... wow... I had always thought he'd be picking up one model after another until he's 40.

ST: HOLY CRAP. i always imagined him to be single forever.

C9: Oh, damn it Andy. I like this girl. Great personality, super cute and he had to go and blow it with this? She's 20 and they've known each other for 5 months. Forget the marriage not lasting, the engagement won't.

ME: wow, i can't believe Andy is engaged. it seems so soon. best of luck ARod.

PA: I'm not jealous, but it will be odd to think of him as a married man if the two should go through with the marriage. I am very excited for him though; he's 25: it's baby-making time!

GL: Congrats to Andy... but she's so young! I am older than her and can't imagine being married.

FE: Congrats and best wishes Andy and Brooke.

OR: Congrats to them? I dunno, they just seem too young to get hitched. Here's to a four-year engagement!

TL: wow, that's shocking. She's younger than me and they've been together less than a year, seems like such a rush! congratulations to them though, I hope they will be very happy together!

NF: They make a cute couple.

BL: So Andy boy is engaged. I really thought Roger would do it first.

DD: Andy Roddick engaged to a 20 year old? No comment.

FT: And they’ve known each other for less than a year? Interesting is all I will say on the matter.

JL: Are you kidding me? I thought he was bi/gay?!

JH: I’m very happy for Andy, but there’s one problem: He’ll need to win titles to afford her.

J4: Dude is making a HUGE mistake. He should just hit it and quit it.

SZ: his talent..overrated tennis guy. her talent...looking hot

GO: Another athlete ruined by marriage.

MM: Can someone explain why we are supposed to care about this? Since when have sports become "Access Hollywood?"

SB: a-rod is one lucky s.o.b!

RA: Good going Andy - after what Tiger has gone through it should only take you five years to get your playing form back too.

MN: First winner he's hit all year.

M1: Good for Andy, nailing a SI swimsuit girl. Now, please, win a damn title and knock off Federer before he catches up to Pete Sampras. Put the U.S. back on the tennis map.

TG: Only in America are you a loser if you're the 5th best tennis player out of 3 billion people. I love the way you overweight, out-of-shape, ex-high-school jocks tear down a world class athlete so you can feel better about yourselves.

JA: Personally, I think Mandy Moore was better.

BB: You can't say he didn't learn anything from Jimmy Conners.

BA: I think you are all idiots. SHE'S A GOD DA MN SUPERMODEL!!!

DG: Isn't she 18 or something like that? Hey, Andy... Ever heard of something called a pre-nup? Otherwise, I guess congratulations are in order!

OM: you can always object at the wedding or something...

CL: His fiance looks kind of like Hantuchova. I hope she likes beer and football!

GV: No way would I ever have gotten married at 20.

OK: I don't do blondes.

JT: Congrats, Andy! I suspect it will last forever.

MS: Has forever gotten that short?

FH: She's young but it can work if they want it to. The trouble is to many people don't try to make it work and run at the first sign of trouble.

KK: So let me get this straight: He sees her in a magazine. His agent hunts down her phone number. They meet. And now marry. No comment.

KY: I'm in shock... Thats insane. I don't really see it lasting, but congrats Andy.

KE: Yes, lets make it a nice, 10 year long engagement so as not to ruin Andy's tennis career. Or give us more excuses as to why he drops in the rankings.

OM: Let it be noted that last time Andy had a high-profile chica, he won a slam. This is a sound strategic move.

TA: What would Joan Rivers say?

CH: That rock is gigantic.

FT: Wow! What a catch! Brooklyn Decker is smoking!

NJ: They will make sexy babies.

SG: Roddick dates a girl for a year and proposes to her. Meanwhile, Federer has been with Mirka for almost 8 years and can't do the honorable thing. I have more respect for Roddick and beginning to have less for Federer. I never thought I would say that.

PT: Way to go Roddick! I too have a feeling he will have a hard time focusing on tennis.

TP: Do her parents need to be at the same table as her if she wants to have a glass of champagne at the wedding?

BB: Ugh, why marry?? You're young Andy, just go have fun. Wine and dine her sure, be boyfriend/girlfriend. But now you're gonna make promises of forever and legally tie up your estate? For what? Hope you get a pre-nup. Talk to Paul McCartney.

SL: So finally Roddick beats Federer in something?

JP: That girl is bearly out the cradle, she is way to young to be married. Some people may fall in love real quick but at twenty i would think she needs a little time to live her life and sweat being dump and irresponsible out, marriage is something else good but hella work and at twenty she don't know nothing bout being no-ones wife.

SD: Usually when a top ten player gets hitched, his tennis career goes completely down the tubes. Roddick had a few good years left. Once he gets married, it will be over for him playing career-wise. Agassi, Hewitt, Sampras, et al.

FF: YEAH RODDICK! Now who wouldn't want to be Roddick in this situation. Jerk or not he's still getting a babe.

BS: omg noo I've been having gay fantasies about him for years :( boo

RM: From a fans standpoint this is terrible news. His carreer is going to go down the hole. Man Just when he was getting better. He's going to be so distracted with married life that he wont be able to focus on tennis.

LA: It's nice to hear Andy's in love; maybe it will even reflect in his game.

TO: Nothing wrong with getting married at that age.. but can they stick to it?

MU: I. Am. Heartbroken.

BT: For some reason, I'm seeing a Agassi/Brooke Shields correlation here. Hope he doesn't end up falling out of the top 500 or something.

YB: I wouldn't hold my breath on this one. 2007... not enough time. They may make it, but it will be tough with all the travel. Absence DOES NOT make the heart grow fonder. If she travels with him, they may stand something of a chance, at least they'd get to know each other better. Who knows... good luck, Andy.

WB: It seems so sudden. Like I don't understand people getting married after a year of dating. Like how the hell do you know if you can live with someone for the rest of your life? And I'm sure that Andy hasn't even dated her that long... AND she's a swimsuit model?! Uh, yeah, this isn't gonna last. She's just a trophy wife for now... but I do wish them luck.

DL: I really think he felt left out because Mardy is getting married.

HY: She is not even old enough to drink. What's the rush! Baby must be in the bun.

DL: Now, now, now...let's not start any rumors...

AW: It appears that Ms Decker is 20, which might, in some circles, be seen as a tad young for making a lifetime commitment. But no doubt they've thought it all through.

CP: Ah, young love...via one's agent.

MK: if I were 25 and a tennis star, I'd have my agent do the exact same thing. Flip through the SI swimsuit issue and get some numbers! However, once the excitement of "I'm dating an SI swimsuit model" and "I'm dating a tennis star" wears off, I'll be curious to see how long they make it.

TT: Why so hard on Ms. Decker? I have a client who grew up in the same town as Brooke (as she was known) in North Carolina and said family nice, normal and she is a sports loving (evidently loves the UNC basketball team) really nice girl who moved to NYC and made it in a very tough business. I would think Roddick who seems a Texan, nee Midwestern guy via Florida and sports fan would have quite a bit in common with her as most people say he is a good, loyal friend and close to his family. Perhaps the images thrown off by their professions does not match the real people underneath.

BM: Advice to Andy: delay the wedding until you retire.

What the Blogs are Saying

• Roddick's upcoming nuptials sound death knell for his career. [Island Packet]
• Andy Roddick's fiance is one buff covergirl. [People]
• Four burning questions after the Miami ATP Masters event. [Athens Exchange]
• No wonder Andy Roddick feels lucky these days. [Gossip on Sports]
• Meet the Future Mrs. Roddick. [Deadspin]
• It's OK to be envious of Andy Roddick. [Mister Irrelevant]
• Off the market. [PerezHilton]
• Can we make up our minds here? [Sports Curmudgeon]
• Andy Roddick Pops the Question; Women Everywhere Have Unrealistic Hopes Dashed. [AOL Sports FanHouse]
• Andy Roddick has a tough life; engaged to a swimsuit model. [on205th]
• Andy Roddick's engaged, in case anyone still cares. [The Evil Beet]
• Andy Roddick engaged to swimsuit model. [OhNoTheyDidnt]

In other news, Andy is rumored to have purchased an apartment in New York City:
Tennis stud Andy Roddick reportedly pays $1.19M for an apartment in Manhattan’s Gramercy area

COMMENT ON THIS POST
COMMENT ON THIS POST

====================================================================

Posted March 31, 2008

AR.com confirmed it this morning. Congratulations to the young couple!

People magazine actually has the news on their front page:



This explains Andy's happy glow during the Lacoste event at Bloomingdale's recently (see photos below). Personally, I think this engagement comes much too soon and they are too young, but aside from my own misgivings I am very happy for them and wish them all the best. They make a great couple.

Here's a big photo from today's match vs Minar that shows the ring up close. Brooklyn was very accomodating by constantly flashing her left hand for us. She knows everybody wants to see the ring. Thanks, Brooklyn! Right+click for larger view.



As usual per big Andy news, AR.com has once again crashed due to overload.


Feeling blue about Andy's engagement?

Cheer up. Just imagine how Mardy Fish must be feeling.



Andy Roddick Helps Lacoste Celebrate Its 75th Anniversary, March 25, 2008, Bloomingdale's, New York City

Click here for story.



===================================================================
Updated February 13, 2008

Yet Another Broddick Sighting

WireImage reports: SI Swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker and tennis player Andy Roddick attend The Sports Illustrated Unveils 2008 Swimsuit Issue Celebration Party at 7 World Trade Center February 12, 2008 in New York City.

Here's one photo of Andy and Brooklyn together. Thanks to lusa14 for the find. (right+click for larger image).



From MSNBC:

Andy Roddick and supermodel Brooklyn Decker kept their distance at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition’s Party at 1OAK Sunday night. A source close to the tennis star said there’s no trouble in paradise, Roddick was just making sure Decker could have spend time with her girlfriends.

From the Charlotte Observer:

In addition to appearing in the magazine, Brooklyn Decker will host "The 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Special" on TNT at 11 p.m. Saturday. The special will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the issue.

Brooklyn also recently did an interview for a local sports radio station, WFNZ, in Charlotte. Click here to listen to her dance around all the Andy questions.

===================================================================

Updated February 12, 2008

Another Broddick Sighting

Now we know why Andy left Austria in such a hurry. He wanted to get back home to warm up his girl, Brooklyn (as reported by the New York Post's Page Six). Click on the link for more photos.


What's funny in these photos is that Brooklyn is wearing practically everything that Andy had previously said he did not like on women: flats, big bags, and skinny jeans. The only thing missing are the giant Jackie-O sunglasses.

Brooklyn's new 2008 swimsuit gallery for Sports Illustrated is available for viewing.

Happy Slamming at the Australian Open

Updated January 21, 2008

Super Saturday: The Aussie Open's Greatest Day of Tennis

The Most Amazing 31 Hours of Men's Tennis
Third Round Madness, January 19, 2008



2:05AM: Kohlschreiber def. Roddick 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-7 (3-7), 8-6
• a total of 74 aces were struck. Roddick hit a career high 42 aces, while Kohlschreiber fired off 32 aces.
• Roddick's fastest serve of the night was clocked at 145 mph (unreturned by Kohlschreiber).
• Kohlschreiber hit an incredible 104 winners, Roddick hit 79.
• this loss marks Roddick's earliest exit at the Aussie Open since his debut in 2002.
• watch Roddick's meltdown here.
• As ESPN's commentator Chris Fowler put it "We can add Kohlschreiber to the list players Roddick brings out the best in slams." The esteemed list of Roddick-killers includes Richard Gasquet, Andy Murray, Marcos Baghdatis, Gilles Muller, and Joachim Johansson.
• Kohlschreiber went on to lose to Jarkko Nieminen in the fourth round (6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-7 (9-11), 3-6) which makes this the first time Roddick has lost to an opponent who did not go on to the AO final (Schuettler 2003, Safin 2004, Hewitt 2005, Baghdatis 2006, Federer 2007).

4:05PM: Blake def. Grosjean 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
• this is Blake's second five-set match win at a slam (his first was at USO 2007 vs Santoro).
• for the first time in his career Blake came back from two sets down.
• this was Blake's first win over Grosjean, who had previously beaten Blake 3 times before.
• after Vince Spadea lost to David Ferrer in the third round, Blake became for the first time in his career the last American man standing at a slam.
• Blake advanced to his first non-U.S. quarterfinal grand slam appearance when he defeated Marin Cilic in the fourth round.
• Question: How many times since 2001 has James Blake gone deeper in a Grand Slam than Roddick? Answer: Four times, in early-round play in 2002, 2003, and 2006 at the French Open and at the 2005 U.S. Open, where Roddick suffered a shock first-round upset and Blake reached the quarterfinals.
• watch match highlights here.

9:14PM: Federer def. Tipsarevic 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8
• the match lasted four hours and 27 minutes.
• Tipsarevic (49) was appearing in just his first Australian Open third round.
• Tipsarevic and Federer had never played one another before.
• Tipsarevic ended Federer's 30 straight sets won at the AO.
• Federer served only one double fault, Tipsarevic six.
• Federer hit a career high 39 aces.
• For Federer, it was the earliest round that he has been extended to five sets since 2001 Wimbledon second round (d. Malisse).
• The fifth set was the longest of Federer’s career (previous longest 9-7) and the longest contested by a top seed at the Australian Open in the Open Era.
• watch the last few games in the fifth set here.

4:34AM: Hewitt def. Baghdatis 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3
• the AO broke its own rules of not starting any matches after 11:00PM. Hewitt-Baghdatis took to the court at 11:47PM. It was the latest start ever for a grand slam match.
• the match would end 4 hours and 45 minutes later, at 4:34AM, making it the latest-running match in AO history.
• There were a total of 13 breaks of serve throughout the match.
• Baghdatis committed 80 unforced errors, Hewitt made 56.
• a third of ticket-holders stuck around for the entire match.
• Hewitt has never lost a five set match at the Australian Open.
• watch the last game here with Baghdatis leaving the court in tears.
• shocking US tennis fans, ESPN2 gave 16 hours of continuous tennis coverage, most of it commercial-free, and stayed with matches long after it was supposed to sign off for other scheduled programming. If you were as thrilled with the tennis coverage as I was, please send ESPN your happy tidings here.

Related articles:
TR.net: 30 (hour) love
Tennis.com: Two days of madness
AP: Long Aussie Open nights play havoc with schedule
Tennis-X: Melbourne magic
The Washington Times: ESPN sets record for longest live telecast

Upset, Tested, Revealing, Loss, Inspiration, Need.


===================================================================
Updated January 17, 2008

A Comedy of Errors

R64: Roddick def Berrer 6-2 6-2 6-4

Sometimes you come across one photo that perfectly encapsulates the match it was taken from. This is one of those photos.



After fans complained that Andy didn't do much of anything other than mope around in the first round match vs. Dlouhy, he looked more comfortable and solid in the second round vs. German Michael Berrer. He took the opportunity to practice a shot he rarely uses: the lob. He also took the opportunity to practice another shot nobody ever wants to make one time, let alone twice in the same match: the whiff. As the match went on it became so bizarre that it made me wonder how a talented upstart like Donald Young managed to lose to this guy in the first round. Even ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe said that Berrer was playing like nothing more than "a glorified park player", and Jimmy Connors couldn't stop giggling at Berrer's amateurish errors. If you saw the match, can you blame him?

Roddick vs. Berrer comedy show highlights



Andy was in no danger of losing this match and seemed content to hang out on the baseline and wait for Berrer to make an error. Andy's laziness in early rounds vs low ranked players is a source of consternation to his many fans who wonder if he can up his game in time versus a more dangerous opponent. Many expect German Philipp Kohlschreiber to play the spoiler vs. Andy in the third round. If Andy shows up playing this kind of dinky, moonball tennis then he will lose. Andy is aware that Kohlschreiber is a bit on a hot streak right now, so I think he knows he needs to flatten that forehand out more, play more aggressive, and to quit futzing around ten meters behind the baseline.

Roddick's comments after the match show that he didn't treat the match as anything more than a hit-and-giggle session:

"I had fun out there tonight, and I kind of played a little bit differently out there. I enjoyed myself."

"It's a little bit of a cold night and I knew the ball wouldn't carry through the court too much. I was content to let him hit the ball hard and try to bully the ball around. It was a good workout ahead of my next match."

"I think I'm aware of the fact that [Kohlschreiber's] been steadily rising in the rankings. I have played him a couple of times and I'm definitely aware of his recent form, winning in Auckland and winning his first two matches here. So, you know, I think I'm more concerned with his recent form than the tales of Kohlschreiber since '05."

===================================================================
Posted January 15, 2008

R128: Roddick def Dlouhy 6-3 6-4 7-5

"MARRY US, ANDY!" A public proposal for Andy Roddick. (right-click for larger image)

Not much to say except that was one awful first round match. Delete-worthy, really. Sure he won in straight sets but quality-wise, it was terrible. I was expecting that Andy might use the opportunity to practice flattening his forehands, maybe get in some net practice, work on his return game, etc. but he did none of those things. Instead he stayed back and just kind of pushed the ball back and forth all day long. He didn't look comfortable out there much. He did just enough to win while his opponent self-destructed. Judging by his grumpy demeanor and constant head-shaking, he wasn't thrilled with his play, either. Justin Gimelstob said afterwards that Andy hit for another half hour right after the match ended, so that's a good sign that he felt he needed to "hit it out" some more to loosen up a bit. One messageboard fan said, "Not to defend Andy's crappy play, but I wonder how much he was thrown/irritated by waiting for the Jankovic-Paszcek horror fest to finally end?" Good point. I know I was getting irritated by the minute waiting for the women's match to end and Andy's to start.

I would post match highlights except that the highlight for me was that it ended. Here's hoping a better version of Andy shows up in his second round match with Germany's Michael Berrer tonight.

Actually, there is one cool highlight to show you. ESPN gave us this: "Andy Roddick and the Art of the Press Conference".


So how do you like Australia's new "Smurf Turf" (as branded by Sports Illustrated)?

COLORFUL DEBATE: The new bright blue Plexicushion playing surface installed for this year's Australian Open is not really an issue for Andy Roddick or his closest supporters. "I don't really care, half my family is color blind anyway, so it doesn't matter."

The sixth-seeded Roddick rallied to beat qualifier Lukas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in the opening round Monday, afterward describing the new playing surface as slow and gritty.

But when it comes to the color, Roddick doesn't seem to care.

"I think that's something where people are watching on TV," he said. "I don't think it really matters to us too much."

Top-seeded Roger Federer on Sunday came out in support of the bright blue color, saying he preferred it to the green Rebound Ace surface of previous years.

"Oh, yeah, because you could tell that it bothered him a lot throughout the years," Roddick joked of Federer's success on the green surface, on which the Swiss star won the 2004, 2006 and 2007 titles.

Andy and other Americans are featured on the new cover of Chinese Tennis magazine this month.

Off-Season Mishmash

Updated December 23, 2007

All I Want for Christmas is Andy Roddick

===================================================================
Updated December 19, 2007

With the off-season comes lots of charity work and more hilarious player impersonations from Andy during exos. Check out these latest additions made to YouTube:

Andy impersonates Serena Williams


Andy impersonates Rafael Nadal


The YouTube user uploaded many other videos of Andy's impersonations including Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Maria Sharapova, and John McEnroe. Really funny collection.

Robby Ginepri got even with Andy, though, and did his own (pretty good) impersonation of Andy! Check it out here.

Just in Time for the Holidays: Andy's Fragrance Hits the Stores

Andy signed a fragrance deal with Parlux such a long time ago that I was beginning to think his scent had been permanently shelved. But it turns out that it was released, just with very little fanfare. I don't recall ever seeing a press release about it.

SMELLS LIKE TEAM RODDICK. Sorry, no scratch and sniff available on computer screens. (right-click for larger image)


The scent contains such masculine aromas as Frozen Bergamot, White Birch, Blue Cypress, Frosted Nutmeg, and Blonde Woods. I have to ask, what the heck is a blonde woods? I Googled "blonde woods" and all I got was Elle Woods from "Legally Blonde." So what is Andy saying about himself with this? That's he's legally blonde? Hahaha. Also, do Andy's pheromones really smell like Frosted Nutmeg?, because that really gets me into the winter holiday mood, ho-ho-ho. Jingle my bells, Andy.

Beware, Hecklers: Roddick Will Make You Pay

One of the funnier aspects of Andy's appearances at exos (besides his impersonations of other players) is how he engages the crowd so well, in particular, how he calls out hecklers and makes them pay for their insolence. Muahaha.

From the Omaha World Herald: Roddick rocks the night.

Stop everything, Andy Roddick said. Hold on.

He called the heckler, an 18 year old wearing a self-designed T-shirt that declared love for Roddick, down from the crowd. He walked to the microphone.

Did you all hear what he said, Roddick asked the crowd of about 6,000 at the Qwest Center: "He said, Andy, you wuss."

So, in the middle of Roddick's singles exhibition match, he invited the kid to grab a racquet. Take position opposite the net. Get ready.

Then Roddick hit a serve, 144 mph, directly at the kid, who ran for cover upon contact.

The crowd roared.

"That's about as tough as a tennis player can feel - ever," Roddick said.

In his first-ever professional performance in the town where he was born, Roddick mixed world-class tennis with the charisma that makes him not just a racquet master, but a celebrity.

He came out of the locker room wearing a Nebraska football helmet, much to the approval of Tom Osborne. He ran the option with Eric Crouch, assigning the Heisman winner the I-back role. He consistently bantered with the crowd and fired balls into the cheap seats. And, of course, he displayed overwhelming power and deft touch.
[. . .]
The exhibition, Rock-n-Racquets, came to Omaha for the first time. Roddick started it in 2002 with Andre Agassi. Agassi has since retired, so Roddick called on Williams, owner of eight Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.

The idea: develop tennis interest in places like Omaha that rarely see the sport up close, said Williams, who'd never been to Nebraska. The idea worked, mostly because of Roddick.

"He's been really entertaining," said Dena Noe, a tennis novice from Lincoln. "I didn't expect that. He's got a great personality - and a really odd serve. I think they're having a lot of fun together."

ATTENTION FANS! Andy's player impersonations are great but what I really, really, really would love to see is him do next is Novak Djokovic. All spring and summer long Djokovic was making a name for himself as the ATP Class Clown doing hilarious impressions of various players, including Andy. I would very much like to see Andy return the favor. So to any of you who plan to attend any future exos where Andy is playing, take your phone camera, and demand that he do a Novak Djokovic impersonation. It's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Thanks much.

===================================================================
Updated December 17, 2007

Roddick Pinch-Hits for Justin Gimelstob Charity Event

The Star-Ledger, NJ. Roddick pinch-hits to help charity:

Tennis and snow don't often go together, but yesterday's sloppy storm created quite a treat for tennis fans at Justin Gimelstob's charity exhibition in Chatham.

When the storm grounded Murphy Jensen's flight from Los Angeles into Newark yesterday, Gimelstob found a pretty decent replacement. He just called Andy Roddick.

Fresh off his Davis Cup victory less than two weeks ago, the No. 6 player in the world pulled on his shorts and filled in quite adequately for the absent Jensen, adding some real flair to an event that already featured John and Patrick McEnroe, as well as Gimelstob and Luke Jensen.

Roddick, who is good friends with Gimelstob, came to New York to chill out for a few days, "to disappear," as he put it, and was actually hitting with Gimelstob on Wednesday at Centercourt.

It was a total surprise to the fans who crammed into the Centercourt club in Chatham, already content to see the McEnroe's and Gimelstob and help raise money for the Justin Gimelstob Children's fund for children with cancer and blood disorders.

"It's amazing that he would come here at a moment's notice like this," a beaming Gimelstob said. "I know I'm going to owe him a kidney or something now. But I hope people appreciate how cool this is, to have two huge champions like him and John here at the event, support tennis in New Jersey and doing their part for the charity."

The Star-Ledger, NJ. Tennis stars serve up fun:

Kevin Wolfer considered his $13,000 winning bid a bargain.

After all, not everyone gets to be Andy Roddick's guest for the duration of the U.S. Open.

"I go to the Open all the time," said Wolfer, the Cresskill resident who won the chance at Thursday night's tennis exhibition for the Justin Gimelstob Children's Fund. "I try to take my vacation during the Open. It was a good deal and it's for a great cause."

Gimelstob, of New Vernon, John and Patrick McEnroe and Luke Jensen took part in the exhibition at the Center Court Racquet Club in Chatham. The special guest of the evening? Roddick.

The presence of the top-ranked American men's player left the girls swooning.

"It is so exciting," said 14-year-old Katie Goepel of Chatham. "My sister and I were jumping up and down a few hours ago when we found out Andy would be here. He's good-looking and really funny. He's got a good sense of humor. Andy's an amazing player with an amazing serve."

Yulia Khaline of Millburn couldn't believe Roddick would be playing at Center Court.

"We had no idea," Khaline said. "We were surprised. Everyone in the whole world knows who he is."

Melissa Mann, another teen-ager from Millburn, said the news about Roddick was leaked by Jason Magnes, one of the state's top boys players. Roddick practiced with Gimelstob on Wednesday at Center Court. It was then that Gimelstob persuaded him to come back.

"It's amazing he's here," Mann said. "He's such a force on the tennis court."

Roddick, who played Gimelstob in his last U.S. Open in September, was paired with Davis Cup captain Pat McEnroe in the night's first match. They played Jensen and Gimelstob in a match Roddick referred to as "Champs vs. Chumps."

It wasn't long before Roddick teased Gimelstob, now retired. "You look like you put on some weight in your legs since you stopped playing," Roddick said.

Related article: For some players, December is our time to give back [Justin Gimelstob blog, SI.com]

There is a streaming video of highlights from the event here. If you have problems with buffering, you can download the flash video here (thanks to Raina).

Photos from the event (click on thumbnail for larger pic).




===================================================================
Finally, A Roddecker Sighting

The celebrity gossip blog JustJared.com has published several nice photos of Andy and Brooklyn holding hands while walking around New York City's Union Square. They make a nice looking couple. My only complaint is that ripped jeans have not been in vogue since the early 90s so I'm hoping Brooklyn's fashion sense will rub off on Andy and those awful jeans will disappear from his wardrobe.



Brooklyn Video
I found this video profile of Brooklyn where she talks about herself, how she likes living in New York City, and her favorite band is the same as Andy's: The Dave Matthews Band.

Why was Andy in New York Anyway?
The NYPost says:

WE HEAR: That after he helped the US win the Davis Cup for the first time in 12 years, Andy Roddick flew to New York for a routine checkup of his fast feet with Dr. Josh Dines and Dr. Rock Positano of the Hospital for Special Surgery.

A lot of fans seem to have already formed an opinion about Ms. Decker. Here's mine: there are only two things that concern me, One. Does she make him happy? Going by just the few photos I have seen of them together the answer appears to be yes. So far so good. Two. Does she inspire him? In other words, will Decker be one of those suck-the-life-energy-out-of-him type of parasitic trophy girlfriends or will she inspire him to be the best that he can be, both as an athlete and as a human being? Judging by his recent results on the court, and his relaxed attitude and behavior, I am inclined to believe that she has had a positive influence on him. Anything else about Andy's girlfriends I could not care less about. I don't care what she looks like, how old she is, if she's a model or a former frumpy "Survivor" contestant, or whether their relationship will "last", none of these things matter to me as a fan of Andy Roddick. I only want to see him happy and to succeed in his dreams. Should Andy win another slam on her watch, I will be the first to demand that Brooklyn Decker be cloned.

If the Tennis Thing Doesn't Work Out, There's Always "Dancing with the Stars"

It's the tennis off-season so that means nothing but useless celebrity gossip, tidbits, and other fun stuff to talk about, such as the idea of Andy appearing on "Dancing with the Stars". As reported by Sign on San Diego, Cheryl Burke, who tangoed to a title with Emmitt Smith in 2006, gives us five other sports personalities she'd love to partner with on future “Dancing With The Stars” seasons and Andy Roddick was one them. Cheryl says, "I've read a few quotes from him in the media and he seems to have the sense of humor that would make him ideal for the show."

Maybe she also heard Bob Bryan say that Andy showed off some "Jackson Five moves" when they recently celebrated their Davis Cup win.

And You Thought You Were Obsessed

Foals singer Yannis Philippakis has a huge man-crush on Andy. In almost every interview I've seen on this guy and his band, Roddick is always mentioned. A sampling:

From the Telegraph, UK:
One of the most bizarre of these obsessions is former World No 1 tennis player Andy Roddick. "He's not the most talented tennis player ever," Philippakis explains, "but the idea of psychological discipline and no Plan B - I like that. It's the pathos, too. There's a kind of tragic-hero quality. He's like someone out of The Great Gatsby."

From southscene.net:
So what would he be doing if a burgeoning music career hadn’t taken him in its grip?
Yannis: "Maybe playing tennis. I used to be really good actually. I have a thing for Andy Roddick, I think he’s f**king awesome."

From Spin magazine:
Fun Fact: Singer Yannis Philippakis is a tennis fanatic and American Grand Slam pro Andy Roddick is his favorite player. The lyrics for "The French Open" are based on Roddick's advert with Lacoste. [You can watch a live version of this song on YouTube here.]

The Foals. (photo from the BBC)


I think it's great that Andy inspires so many creative people (another fun fact: did you know that Boyd Tinsley's song "The Ghosts of Wimbledon" was also inspired by Andy?) Although, I'm surprised that somebody would sing a song called "The French Open" in honor of Andy. Why not use a more appropriate title, such as "No Plan B"?


Andy Has a Gay Moment (Without Realizing It)

Cover your eyes, chillen!!!!!!

While we're on the juicy tidbits subject, I guess now is as good a time as any to point you all to this bizarre photo of a fan getting a tad too close to Andy. It was taken back in 2005 after his loss at the US Open. It's clear that Andy was not in on the joke ("He had no idea I was that close to licking his face," says brazen fan Nate) which makes it even funnier. I'm surprised nobody saw this photo until recently. If he hasn't already, I'm sure that Nate will be hailed as a national hero in gay tennis circles. I'm also pretty sure that should Andy see this photo he will sh*t a brick or two. Or three.



GayWired has a profile this month's "World's Sexiest Athlete: Andy Roddick" here.

OutSports names it's Top Ten Sexiest Tennis Players and Andy falls in at No. 9:

Andy Roddick has an on-court attitude that leaves something to be desired. His overplayed machismo can induce vomiting, but fortunately the Top Ten Hotties List doesn’t have a gag reflex. The American is spoiled and whiny in defeat, pompous and arrogant in victory. In fact, one might say that Andy is a big Roddick. We complain about it during tournaments, but now is the time to come out of the closet and confess our crush on the man with one of the most punishing serves in tennis. After all, who doesn’t love a bad boy? Roddick struts around the baseline with his muscular chest poking out; he stares intensely while teasingly tugging at his crotch; and he pounds ace after ace after ace until we beg him to stop. Andy’s all-American good looks and self-satisfied grin are just as lethal.

I don't mean to nitpick with OutSports but their comment, "spoiled and whiny in defeat, pompous and arrogant in victory" couldn't be more off-base. I challenge them to show us a recent interview from Roddick that clearly demonstrates such characteristics. I'm not saying that Andy's a perfect little angel (don't make me laugh) but "spoiled and whiny in defeat"? Since when? It just goes to show that some people's perception of a media image can't be further from the truth.

By the way, No. 1 on their hottie list was Novak Djokovic. If OutSports needs to see what pompous and arrogant really looks like check out this hilarious interview of Novak from 2006.

Davis Cup: Band of Brothers

Updated December 4, 2007

Davis Cup Trophy Presentation


===================================================================
Updated December 2, 2007
1st Singles: Roddick def Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
2nd Singles: Blake def Youzhny 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 7-6(3)
Doubles: Bryans def Andreev/Davydenko 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-2
1st Reverse Singles: Andreev def B. Bryan 6-3, 7-6(4)
2nd Reverse Singles: Blake def Tursunov 1-6, 6-3, 7-5

USA: 2007 Davis Cup Champions!

"We've been the ultimate team, and it's just been a blast and it's been an honor to be a part of that." — ANDY RODDICK.

We are the champions! Is anyone else feeling hungover (besides Andy, who was trying very hard to look and act normal and keep a straight face throughout today's dead rubber matches, hence the spaced out look on his face. Mardy Fish was also feeling the effects of a long night, once falling asleep on John Roddick's shoulder and then at another point he stole Andy's watch to play with.)

Here's video of championship point, with team celebration, and on court interviews:


It was mentioned to me that SkySports did not broadcast the part where Andy and James were hugging their moms in the stands, so I made a .mov file of it which you can download here.

DOWNLOAD highlights from Day 2 doubles here (video courtesy of claire. Thanks, claire!).

Here's a YouTube video of the beginning of the player's press conference yesterday after the Bryans won. Laughing and soaking wet with beer and champagne, you can hear Andy yelling at the press "Don't ask me any questions!"

The video came from a cool blog hosted by Willamette Week about one person's experience at Davis Cup. Lots of videos and original photos were posted. It's a funny read, so check it out.

Speaking of blogs, fellow tennis head and Roddick fan Craig Hickman attended the Davis Cup final in Portland and was fortunate enough to have tracked down the DC team at McFadden's where he met the friendly, happy players and got several photos of them. Click here.

Here are some more animated .gifs that I made to celebrate the USA win.

Mardy hugs Andy	Andy hugging Bob Bryan

Bryan brothers celebration	Andy and James hug their moms

USA team with flag	Group celebration

More updates later. We can make this DC win a week-long celebration!

===================================================================

1st Singles: Roddick def Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
2nd Singles: Blake def Youzhny 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 7-6(3)


DOWNLOAD highlights from the matches here (video courtesy of claire).

Here are two more videos from the first singles match. The first video is the last point of Andy's match with Tursunov. Andy later said that it was one of the coolest moments in his life when the crowd gave him a standing ovation. The second video is part of Andy's on-court interview afterwards.

Somebody at Versus/Tennis Channel has a sense of humor: they used Andy's photoshopped photo from Men's Fitness magazine as his profile picture.


Animated .gif I made. I love how Andy was so pumped up after James' win.


===================================================================
Stuck at work/school/got no Tennis Channel? You can read all the blow-by-blow action live here at Gamewatch.

You can listen to blow-by-blow action live on the radio here at the Davis Cup website.

You can also e-mail your questions to the Davis Cup radio hosts Eli Weinstein and Chris Bowers at live@daviscup.com.

===================================================================

"In terms of similarities, I think off the court we're actually pretty similar. He probably wouldn't want me to admit it, but he reads a lot. He's actually a lot smarter than he pretends to be. I'm actually a lot dumber than I pretend to be, so we're pretty close in that regard."

— JAMES BLAKE on the similarities between him and Andy Roddick.

I don't know about you all but I'm so excited about this final I can barely stand it. There's so much going on in terms of news and videos that I will be updating this website in pieces throughout the day, so check back for updates.

2007 Davis Cup Final: USA vs Russia
The draw:

Friday, November 30, 2007
Singles
Andy Roddick (USA) vs Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
James Blake (USA) vs Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)

Saturday, December 1, 2007
Doubles
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) vs Igor Andreev/Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)

Sunday, December 2, 2007
Reverse singles
Andy Roddick (USA) vs Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
James Blake (USA) vs Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)

Click here for US and International TV schedule of the Davis Cup.

In the U.S. on the Versus channel:
Friday, Nov. 30, 2007, 4:00pm EST to 10:00pm
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, 3:30pm EST to 6:30pm
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007, 4:00pm EST to 9:00pm

Back in Action in Shanghai

Updated November 14, 2007


RR: Ferrer def Roddick 6-1 6-3
RR: Federer def Roddick 6-4 6-2
RR: Roddick def Gonzalez 6-1 6-4
RR: Roddick def Davydenko 6-3 4-6 6-2



Expected loss to a white-hot Ferrer. Too bad Andy had to end Shanghai on two bad notes but the good news is that he got at least two good matches under his belt and some good match play practice all around. Other than tweaking his back in the semifinal, he should be good to go come Davis Cup time in about a week's time. So Andy, rest up, relax with your friends and family, and eat lots of healthy turkey on Thanksgiving Day and we'll see you on Nov. 30.

Another day, another loss to Federer. Roger was playing very well (as he always does against Roddick. Something about Andy brings out the best in Roger) and the player formerly known as Andy Roddick barely showed up. Gone were the penetrating forehands, backhands, and everything in between. Roddick claiming earlier that he would be able to "swing freely" during this match never materialized. This song and dance is getting old and boring.

The best part about last night's match was Andy annihilating his racket in frustration. I hope that's not the injured heel he busted it on. RIP, busted Babolat No. 3,876. Download the video here (thanks again to claire)

Andy plays David Ferrer next in the semifinals. David Ferrer beat Andy in their last meeting in Cincinnati. David Ferrer is high on confidence and is playing out of his skin this fall season. David Ferrer returns well against big servers and can run down any ball. David Ferrer will be Andy's next nightmare match. Good luck to Andy. I hope he can find a way to win.

"Some days you have good days where everything feels pretty clean, and this was one of those. I wanted to take his time away. I didn't want to let him set up and try to hit those big shots. I thought I did that pretty well."

— ANDY RODDICK on his strategy for Fernando Gonzalez.

Download highlights of the Roddick-Gonzalez match here (video courtesy of claire. Thanks, claire!) and also here.

You can watch Andy's full post-match interview here. The official ATP interview with Andy after he defeated Gonzalez can be viewed here. More match highlights from sina.com here.

You can view other match highlights and player interviews over at tennis.com here. If you can't view the videos on their website here's Andy's interview after defeating Davydenko and Roddick-Davydenko highlights on YouTube.

Glory hallelujah, the ATP finally figured out that many fans such as myself were unable to view their "free" videos on their Masters Series TV website because they did not support Mac platform. They have recently started uploading their free content onto YouTube. Thank you, thank you, ATP, you finally did something right. I would apologize for all of the profane hate mail I sent due to their shortsightedness but I guess it all worked out in the end.

Now I'd like to see the ATP take the next step and start uploading complete match highlights from every tournament, not just the Masters Cup. YouTube can provide excellent, global exposure for a sport that desperately needs as much exposure as it can get, especially in the United States. Honestly, does it really help grow the sport at all if the Copyright Police are wasting their time going after the fans who are only trying to share the excitement of this great sport by uploading great shots, plays, and moments in tennis history? Where is the logic in that? The ATP should embrace this new media instead of trying to fight it. It can only help the sport.

==================================================================
Posted November 12, 2007


RR: Roddick def Davydenko 6-3 4-6 6-2

"As [for] smashing racquets, for as many times as it's helped me, it's hurt me that many times also. It's just part of my personality. I've always been pretty expressive and emotional on the court. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not so much."

— ANDY RODDICK.

Here's a video of Andy's entire post-match interview. Thanks to claire for the find. Download the Roddick-Davydenko highlights here.

The two winners of the Red Group meet Wednesday night: Roddick vs Gonzalez. Federer will play Davydenko in the loser's RR. Let me repeat that: Federer in the loser's round robin. Can you believe that?

Speaking of Fernando' Gonzalez's shock win over Federer today, I feel that this hurts Andy's chances of beating Federer more than it helps him. For one thing, Roger was very angry about his loss today (his first RR loss at TMC ever) and all I can say is, Thank goodness he's meeting Davydenko next and not Andy. I don't want Andy to be on the receiving end of Roger's wrath. I'm not particularly anxious to see a repeat of their Australian Open semifinal match. With Federer being backed into a corner he now has to beat either Davydenko or Roddick to make the semifinals. Andy looked good in his match with Davydenko yesterday but obviously, after so many weeks off, he's still got the rust to dust off.


You can download highlights of the Federer-Gonzalez match here. There is also a short post-match video interview with Andy here.


Yes, He's Alive and He's in Shanghai

Tennis.com reports that Andy Roddick never thought for one second that he would not attend Shanghai. That's great Andy, but when people were e-mailing you asking why you weren't going then why didn't you release a short statement saying so? It would have spared your fans some unnecessary anxiety (speaking for myself, of course).

American Andy Roddick, trapped in a high mandarin collared shirt and looking uncomfortably like a turtle, said it’s "unfortunate" that tennis has been receiving so many unfavorable headlines. Roddick, who said he’s never been approached by anyone to fix a match, also scoffed at the notion of a player being poisoned: "I'm not scared to eat. All it takes is one person saying one thing to make a story."

Roddick himself has had a persistent rumor swirling around him in recent weeks, regarding whether he would turn up to play in Shanghai. Following the U.S. victory over Sweden in the Davis Cup semifinal in September, Roddick has spent much of his time rehabbing from heel bursitis and it was whispered that he would skip the trip to China to save his energy for the Nov. 30-Dec. 2 Davis Cup final against Russia in Portland, Ore.

Not so, according to Roddick. The top dog of American tennis said he never gave thought to not making the journey to Shanghai.

"I got a couple of emails about it, but it was always my intention to play here," Roddick said. “Playing here was probably one of the reasons along with Davis Cup why I wasn’t able to go to Paris [for the Masters event there earlier this month). Davis Cup is probably my top priority this year, but you’re not going to get in any better workout for Davis Cup than playing against this field.

"And, you know, it's such an honor, it’s an event unto itself here, so I was always coming."

There are videos available from the Masters Cup ceremony here (Andy appears 7:40) and here (Andy appears at 4:00).



Roddick Demands Hat on His Warrior

From People's Daily Online:

Capturing the confidence in Roger Federer's smile required some reflection, while Novak Djokovic's short hair demanded finesse. But Andy Roddick was the only one who requested a do-over — at least when it came to his trademark baseball cap.

All the players were given pictures of their statues before the tournament and were asked to offer suggestions. Roddick was the only one with a quibble. He apparently felt his baseball cap was a part of his public image and that it belonged on his terracotta. Sculptor Shen Xiaonan said the cap was not initially sculpted on his head because they thought it would obscure the statue's face.

"Roddick made the change. Originally it was without a baseball cap because it cast a shadow on the face," Shen said of Roddick's statue.

Here's another video about Novak Djokovic. Towards the end they show him joking with Andy about his habit of bouncing the ball dozens of times. Funny guys.

==================================================================
Posted November 5, 2007

Missing in Action


Have You Seen This Man?

Matthew Cronin of Fox Sports recently spoke with Mike Bryan and Mike let it slip that Andy may or may not be going to Shanghai. Fans revolt in the streets. Roddick better hire a bodyguard if he's serious about not going. Sometimes I can't tell whether he's teasing, joking, or just being a blockhead.

Like close friends Andy Roddick and James Blake, it's the Davis Cup that's on the Bryans' minds. The U.S. hasn't won a title since 1995, and when the squad faces Russia in Portland, it will be the first time the Americans have played a home final since 1992. Roddick is so focused on the tie