Wimbledon - semi-final: Andy vs Andy Roddick

wolf · Tennis legend

RE: Wimbledon - semi-final: Andy vs Andy Roddick

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Not a terrible display but not a good one either. Roddick was on fire and Andy just didn't get enough first serves in play, 52% isn't going to win you many semifinals, and was too passive on some of the key points, most notably set point in the third set tiebreak when he had a 2nd serve to look at and yet Roddick still dominated the point.

Andy Murray's weaknesses rather got exposed today, so need to work on those. As Wolf says it was all rather predictable given Andy's approach. He is vulnerable to a good player who plays well on the day and that's what happened.

Well played Roddick. Deserved the win. Tried to make things happen. Played right at the top of his level. So few errors from the american that it was a surprise when he dumped a backhand in the net or struck a forehand out.

-- Edited by kundalini on Friday 3rd of July 2009 05:58:53 PM

seagull · Hall of fame

Roddick played so much better than I thought he would. His 1st serve % was unreal and I just feel Murray never got on top of him. Murray played one aggressive game when he broke at the start of the second set but that was it.

The wait goes on

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Did you cry then Stew_B?

My last pickums bites the dust.

Murray out-aced Roddick 25-21 - that is what has surprised me.

I can see tomorrows newspaper headlines now "Another British Loser"

-- Edited by mjd on Friday 3rd of July 2009 07:04:46 PM

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Roddick played a perfect match and that was the best he's played for a good few years. Everything he tried was working and he got the tactics spot on, and when the pressure was on, he served magnificantly.

He did get a bit tight when he served for the 3rd set, and when he came to the net at 6-4 in the TB it seemed a desperate ploy, but he recovered well on the second match point.

Seems a strange thing to say about Murray when he served 25 aces and out aced Roddick, but he didn't serve well enough. When he got the first serve in it was excellent, but just 52% isn't good enough, especially when Roddick was serving at 77%. I'm surprised that Murray won as many as 53% on the second serve, as it seemed like whenever Roddick got a look at it, he was killing it. When Roddick's backhand is killing your second serve, there is a definate problem with it.

Forehand wasn't good enough as well; the attacking forehand that is. He doesn't look able to hit that one big forehand to end the rally in one shot and that needs to be improved if he is to go further in the game.

Just a shame for Murray that in this match his weaknesses were exposed while Roddick played very well.

Still, best ever effort for Murray at Wimbledon and he's improving year on year on the grass. He's got time to regroup from this ahead of the US season where he should have a better chance of success.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I have to agree with everything everybody else has said.

In the four Wimbledons Andy has played, he has gone 3rd round, 4th round, quarters and semis. So, I'm looking forward to 2011!

As I have said before I think he needs to win a slam somewhere else first, so that there isn't as much pressure as there is here.

S&V · Club Coach

I thought Murray would win by angling an dropping Roddick to death but never really happened at all. Pretty upset here but the better player won for sure

Stew_B · Intermediate Club Player

Like a few have said before me, Roddick played very well today, but had Murray converted one of those 3 break points at the start of the 3rd set, or even if the ball had landed a fingers-width to the right in the 4th set breaker, it may have been a different result, the margins for success can be so fine... I want to try to look forward to the US Open, where I believe Andy will have an even better chance, but it seems so far away - and even then, it wouldn't be quite as big as winning Wimbledon.

I now wish A-Rod all the best in the final, and really hope he can finally get one over Fed-Ex.

Although, I feel so sick right now, I don't know for certain if I'll watch the match on Sunday.

Stew_B · Intermediate Club Player

mjd, tears didn't stream down my face, although my eyes did water up. I was obviously gutted that Andy lost, but the fact the match was decided by 2 tie-breaks made it even worse, it wouldn't have felt so bad if the 3rd and 4th sets had been 3-6 4-6.

Edited as original post was written after a few too many drinks... ashamed

-- Edited by Stew_B on Saturday 4th of July 2009 07:51:20 PM

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Now that I have got over the first disappointment, I have a few consolations.

Even though Andy did not play at his best (which I still think, in spite of his denials, is a lot to do with it being his home slam), he came very very close. The only thing that let him down was first serve % (lol, I seem to have heard that one before). I think in all other statistics he was better than Roddick. Of the total points, he got only 2 fewer than Roddick; he lost the match only by losing the two tiebreaks, and Roddick has a fantastic record of winning tiebreaks, 26 out of 30 this year.

In his interviews he said he intended to go and work hard to get better. We know from experience that when he says that, he means it. There is still so much he can improve, and he probably will.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I thought Andy looked very tired during the match and against an inspired roddick wasn't good enough. Again Andy has proved that he struggles to bring his A game to the grand slam stage. He can bring a high level of intensity to best of three set matches day after day at a masters series tournament but even given a rest day during a grand slam tournament he wilts during a five set match. I think it is more a mental than a physical thing but something which needs to be addressed. I hope at the end of his career we will not be saying the best ever player not to win a slam.

andyjmr · Intermediate Club Player

There were a couple of points in the 3rd set tiebreak when the tension seemed to get to Andy M - he missed an easy forehand when he was right up at the net, and on the next point he missed a relatively easy backhand down the line by a country mile. And even then he still had a set point. Even though his serve %age was rather low, it really did just come down to a few key points I felt.

-- Edited by andyjmr on Saturday 4th of July 2009 01:00:24 AM

S&V · Club Coach

I wonder how much of the mental wilt is down to him winning less easy points than many of his peers?

Shush · Improver

Thank God Roddick won.

Vandenburg · Futures level

yeh what ever anyone says no one can argue that roddick found form of circa 2003 US OPEN and out played the scot.