I have mixed emotions about Andy Roddick.
On the one hand, as a tennis purist, I find his game unidimensional. He has the big serve, which probably isn't as big as it used to be, but the rest of his game is disappointing. The forehand is good, the backhand horrific, return of serve poor, and volleys almost non-existant.
On the other hand, I admire his competitive grit and his desire to try and improve by doing things like hiring Jimmy Connors to coach him and help his backhand.
But, in the final analysis, he has a poorly designed game given his skills.
It's a pity that none of his coaches recognized that his foot speed would not allow him to be a successful baseliner at the pro level and that he would need a great volley to finish points.
Think Max Mirnyi instead of Rafael Nadal.
I was cringing watching the final set tiebreak today against Tipsarevic. Roddick could do nothing but push his backhand and you don't win in the pros by pushing. His unforced backhand error at 4-5 in the tiebreak was just so sad and reflective of where he's at as a player now.
Maybe Andy should play doubles to work on his return and volleys?
Until next time,
Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Tennis Strategy Tactics And Tips To Guarantee You Improve Your Tennis Ranking. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.
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