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  • Roddick faces sternest test to date

    1/18/08 1:41 AM | David Cox
    - Undoubtedly Friday’s match of the day in the bottom quarter features Andy Roddick and the on-form Philipp Kolhschreiber in the night session.

    The match has the potential to go the distance with Roddick coming into these championships having beaten Ivan Ljubicic, Marat Safin and Marcos Baghdatis to win the Kooyong Classic for the 2nd time and Kohlschreiber picking up his second career title in Auckland, dropping just 1 set in the process.

    Both have continued that form on arrival in Melbourne, looking very comfortable in picking up straight sets victories. Roddick does lead 2-0 on the head-to-heads including a 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 win over the German in the 4th round back in 2005. However, Philipp Kohlschreiber didn’t really progress as expected in the 2 years following that run and it was a 2nd round encounter with Rafael Nadal on Rod Laver Arena last year which really kick-started his recent good form. He drew a lot of confidence from taking a set off the Spaniard (and had the chances to push him to 5) and won his first ATP title on the Munich clay last May and claimed notable wins over the likes of David Nalbandian, Baghdatis, Mikhail Youzhny and James Blake.

    As for Roddick he has a superb record in Melbourne, having reached the semis 3 times and won one of the greatest matches ever seen down under when he beat
    Younes El Aynaoui 21-19 in the 5th back in 2003. The American will be disappointed that he’s yet to make the final in this event and arguably his greatest chance came in 2005 when he crashed out in the last 4 to an inspired Lleyton Hewitt with Federer having gone down to Safin the day before. Last year he ran into Roger Federer at his brilliant best at the same stage and there was little Roddick or anyone could have done as the Swiss fired winners at will.

    The bouncier new plexicushion courts will suit Roddick’s serve and with Kohlschreiber also capable of rattling off service games at will, the match will surely come down to a few key points. The backhand is the weaker side of both players, so who is able to exploit that the most should have the edge. Kohlschreiber is an out and out shotmaker from the baseline, going relentlessly for the lines off both wings. Roddick is more solid from the back and takes less risks but has the better net game, an area that has improved hugely since he started working with Jimmy Connors. I reckon Roddick will come through but in 4 very tight sets.

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