A SHOULDER injury was enough to see him withdraw from the French Open but with the grass court season there usually comes renewed optimism for Andy Roddick.
It was telling that his coach stated early on he expected to be fit and raring to go by the time his peers arrived from London and prepared to get things under way tomorrow.
The clay of Roland Garros has never really suited the former World No.1,
the appearances there always curtailed before the quarter-final stage, but he has rarely had the time to sit about moping. From there the season takes him straight into the Stella Artois Championships, and talk about the perfect pick-me-up.
Four times in the past five years the American has won the Wimbledon warm-up and while he has slid down the world rankings, he remains the man in possession, and the person to beat. And it's not a title he is likely to forsake without a fight. Too much is a stake. As far as omens go, any good form at Queens Club has tended to be reflected in his Wimbledon showings. Of the four title-winning years, he has gone on to reach the semi-final once (where he was ousted by Roger Federer), the final twice (where he was beaten by Federer on both occasions) and the quarter-finals. In the years he has failed to win at Queens, the best he has mustered at Wimbledon is the final 32.
In terms of the bigger picture, the Artois Championships apparently have a significant role. But even in its own right, this year's event is notable. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the event has been won a record-equalling four times by four players. As well as Roddick, John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Lleyton Hewitt have all lifted the trophy on four occasions. This is Roddick's chance to move ahead of the rest and claim the record outright.
"I think it's nice winning at tournaments that you really enjoy playing at," Roddick said after the fourth win. "To have won four is great and I now have a number of chances to get five. But it's always good to get some of those tough matches in before Wimbledon."
And the matches are getting tougher. With five of the world's top 10 competing at the event this year, including world No.2 Rafael Nadal and world No.3 Novak Djokovic, he also has to worry about a raft of grass court exponents, who may be ranked higher but still pose a threat. But they are games he knows he has to win if he is ever going to realise the dream of winning Wimbledon – still the one that got away. The US Open has already been won, and he has come close in Australia, but it's at Wimbledon he has suffered perhaps his biggest tales of woe. Arguably one of the best grass court players of his generation, he is unlucky that same generation also boasts the presence of Federer.
But he won't give up trying. Having been foiled in the latter stages on three occasions, joking more than once that the only way to beat the Swiss tennis magician on grass is to inflict bodily damage, he wants to be the one there, waiting to pounce, if and when the World No.1 slips up.
The full article contains 575 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
