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  • Toronto preview - Nicolas Mahut vs. Andy Roddick

    7/22/08 6:00 PM | Cheryl Murray
    - Frenchman Nicolas Mahut comes into this match off a great win over Janko Tipsarevic, who was surely favored in their first round match. He takes on American star Andy Roddick, who is attempting to recover from his performance at Wimbledon.

    If ever there was a time for Mahut to post his first win over American Andy Roddick, this is his chance. Roddick is 2-0 against Mahut, but the American Roddick has had a dismal spring and summer so far (by his standards). He did not play the French Open due to an injury, then he was knocked out of Queen’s Club in the semifinals by Rafael Nadal. Roddick had won the tournament the year before and it was considered an upset that Nadal was able to win in straight sets.

    The big disappointment of the season so far, however, would be Wimbledon. The lawns of the All-England Club have long been a source of success for Roddick. This year, however, he was knocked out in the second round by Janko Tipsarevic. It was a terrible blow for the American who has struggled against the top players in the big moments.

    Mahut has not had the best of seasons himself. His ranking has dipped to 95 in the world, and he lost in the third round at Queens Club; he was defending points from making the final in 2007. Mahut lives and dies by the effectiveness of his serve. When his serve is on, as it was against Tipsarevic in the first round, the Frenchman is difficult to beat.

    Roddick is still the favorite, despite his recent disappointments. He is ranked 6 in the world and the fast hard court tends to be his bread and butter surface. Mahut’s only chance is to serve out of his mind and hope that Roddick has a bad day.

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