Andy Roddick still believes time is on his side

Neil Harman, Tennis Correspondent in Indian Wells, California

Andy Roddick has contended with many vexing questions, but never from the kind of frantic female who sneaked into a press conference yesterday and asked him whether he made time for love. Roddick rocked back in his chair and said: “I'm all about the love. I love everybody. I'm falling in love with you as we speak.”

The woman's credential was promptly removed and Roddick could get back to the usual inquiries about why the American No1 player is not living up to expectations. The 2003 US Open does seem a long time ago, but last year was the first in the past five that the 25-year-old failed to reach one grand-slam tournament final. His defeat in the second round of the Pacific Life Open by Tommy Haas, of Germany, strengthened his doubters.

It was ironic that Roddick's lean grand-slam spell coincided with him being mentored by Jimmy Connors, a partnership that is over. Roddick has taken the lion's share of the blame for the split, but it was Connors who sent a note to the player saying that he could not spare him the time required to keep the alliance credible. What Roddick had done was light the tennis flame in Connors once again, for which the sport should be grateful.

He conjures the memory of the first time Connors visited his house; the pair played pool, sank a few beers and the titan, who won more titles in his career (109) than anyone in history, ended up sleeping in the spare room. “That was pretty surreal,” Roddick said. “People will make a big deal out of it, but there are only a few players, like Rafael Nadal and James Blake, who have had one coach for years. Everyone else has had a coach or two.

“Jimmy was never full time, but it's a story because it's Jimmy. I'm not the most talented player, but I'm consistently here. I never don't go to work.”

Roddick is determined to seal more grand-slam victories and he does feel the blood pumping with his recent victories in San Jose and Dubai after what he said was a frightening straight-sets defeat by Philipp Kohlschreiber, of Germany, in the third round of the Australian Open. “I wasted a whole lot of fitness there because I was in great shape,” he said.

At No6 in the world, he has not ended a year outside the top ten since he first entered the rarefied environs in 2002 and he does not believe we have seen the last of his trophy-lifting. “There is something left in me. If I didn't believe that I wouldn't play,” he said. “I'm not going to play for a pay cheque. My backhand definitely improved under Jimmy, the guys were frightened of my forehand last year, but I sense they are again now.

“It will take time, there will be bumps in the road. I'm still out there trying, but if it doesn't happen for me I'm not going to feel sorry for myself. That's never going to happen. I still have a pretty charmed existence.”

From The Times March 18, 2008

Сначала приличный Энди

а теперь развратный Энди          

Andy Roddick wades into row over 2009 calendar

Andy Roddick's itinerary this year takes some beating - just like his body. From Austin, Texas, to Australia, back home via Vienna for a Davis Cup first-round tie, from the West Coast of America to the Midwest, on to Dubai, back to California, across to Florida, a stopover in North Carolina for another Davis Cup victory before last week's return to Europe. He does not want sympathy votes - after all, he does not travel in economy - but some understanding.

One of the more prominent marks on ATP tournament drawsheets in 2008 is “Ret'd”, short for retired. And there has been more than the occasional “wo” - walkover. All of which has happened when those in charge of promulgating next year's calendar are insisting on a stricter level of participation at the leading tournaments, at the risk of fines and suspensions for no-shows or lame excuses.

Roddick was forced to retire during the fourth game of his BNL D'Italia Masters semi-final on Saturday. He did not like doing it, but a tennis player with a shoulder in spasm is not much use and he has returned to Texas for treatment. Such is the physical manner of Roddick's game, it is remarkable that the longest time he has been out since turning professional in 2000 is three weeks - in 2006.

Five matches in Rome were either not completed or did not start at all, an extremely worrying scenario for tournament directors who want to put on a show, while for the welfare of the players, it is simply unsustainable.

Which is why Roddick is a voluble critic of the “eight for eight” rule to be introduced next year, when attendance is mandatory at each Masters Series (to be renamed“1000”) events. Should a player miss one for reasons deemed unacceptable, they will be banned from the next. “Don't we want our stars in the game for as long as we can - surely the fact that Andre [Agassi] was still playing at 35 was good for the game,” Roddick, 25, said.

“Nobody wants to miss tournaments, they lose points, they lose prize-money, the tournament suffers, the tour suffers, but when it comes to fitness, there are many grey areas. I had to make tough decisions in '07. I was banged up in the autumn and I had a big Davis Cup tie coming up. I played five of nine Masters

[Series events] last year and had I been able to play everything, who knows what my ranking could have been. Do you think I didn't want to play? Who gains from fines and suspensions? It makes absolutely no sense.”

Players are in a demonstrative mood. Rafael Nadal had led a chorus of criticism from clay-court specialists, who have long believed they are treated as second-class citizens; Roddick senses a greater unity of purpose. “We can argue the benefits of clay courts and hard courts until we're blue in the face,” he said, “but where we are unified is in looking at the bigger picture and whether the businessmen who have been brought in to make decisions know what they're doing.”

The future direction of men's tennis depends on whether the ATP was within its rights to demote the status of the Hamburg event in the 2009 calendar and move it to Madrid. There is one last shot at mediation in Boston this week. If that fails, tennis has a July date in court that no one wants and one that will have massive repercussions for the sport.

Neil Harman

Тренировка в Лондоне с Куэрри

Тренировка 8 июня в Лондоне

Не знаю,откуда,но красиво

Энди Роддик: «Надеюсь, что завтра не будет проблем с плечом»

Третий сеяный американец Энди Роддик, обыгравший в матче второго круга на турнире в Лондоне своего соотечественника Робби Джинепри со счетом 6:7, 6:1, 6:1, заявил, что не смог сразу войти в игру и отметил, что его плечо пока не вполне готово к трехсетовым поединкам.

«Я не сразу смог войти в игру, а Робби играл очень агрессивно, он сумел создать мне массу проблем. Я нашел свою игру во втором сете и после этого заиграл очень неплохо. Мне очень комфортно здесь, я люблю тут играть и надеюсь, что смогу выиграть титул. Мое плечо меня немного беспокоит, три сета – это многовато, я надеюсь, что завтра с ним все будет в порядке», – цитирует Роддика Sky Sports.