vryzia exter: Andy Roddick

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Andy Roddick

There’s no home team in professional tennis. This month’s hero in Indian Wells will be next month’s villain in Monte Carlo. With the exception of the underrated, under-watched doubles competition, even the word “team” is a stretch for a sport where individuality is emphasized among a player’s attributes. Bjorn Borg’s stoicism, John McEnroe’s temperament, Roger Federer’s grace ... these are qualities tennis fans attach to the game’s legends every bit as much as a player’s homeland.
click to enlarge Andy.Roddick.Wimbledon.2004.jpg

That said, you can forgive fans at The Racquet Club of Memphis this week if they treat Andy Roddick like he has “MEMPHIS” stitched across the cap he wears on court, indoors or out. The top American player on the men’s tour (and seventh-ranked player in the world) will be making his 10th consecutive appearance in Memphis, his eighth straight as the tournament’s top seed. The last American man to win a Grand Slam title — Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open — will be defending his Regions Morgan Keegan title, and aiming to become only the third player to earn three Memphis championships (at age 19, Roddick beat James Blake for the 2002 title).