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Roddick's rapid rise American teenager destined for the top
He's young, talented and has won two tournaments in the past two weeks. But for someone hailed as the future of American tennis, Andy Roddick is disarmingly modest. What did he think of the need for personal security guards to keep the fans under control in Houston? "It's flavor of the week," Roddick said. "If I walk through here next year, probably no one will know who I am." How about his chances in the French Open? "Anybody who puts my name as a contender is ridiculous." Roddick is smart to play down expectations after the dream start to his professional career. But for all his humility, the 18-year-old from Florida definitely has "game." There's every indication that, injury permitting, he will join Marat Safin, Gustavo Kuerten, Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Carlos Ferrero as one of the young guns of the ATP tour. Roddick's serve is simply awesome. On the way to winning the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston, Roddick delivered 36 aces over five matches and reached speeds in excess of 209 kilometers per hour (130 mph). But he is much more than a one-dimensional player. He can match it off the ground with the best of them. His forehand is dangerous from anywhere on the court and he moves well for a big man (he's 1.85 meters or 6 feet 1). More importantly, Roddick has a tigerish attitude. His success in the juniors (he was world No. 1 in 2000) means that he's not easily intimidated and expects to win when he walks onto the court. Already, Roddick has victories over Pete Sampras, Marcelo Rios and Todd Martin. His two career titles (in Atlanta and Houston) may not have come in high-profile events, but they will give him confidence for the tough matches ahead. To his credit, Roddick is eager to learn. He used Andre Agassi's generous locker-room tips during a rain-delay to defeat Romania's Andrei Pavel at the Ericsson Open in March. He also trained with Agassi in Florida prior to the veteran's Australian Open triumph. Sampras had the benefit of this kind of apprenticeship with Ivan Lendl prior to his first Grand Slam title at the 1990 U.S. Open. But don't expect Roddick to make a big impact in this year's Grand Slams. He could struggle in the less-familiar best-of-five set format, just as Hewitt did at the start of his professional career. There will be some adjustments needed too when Roddick ventures outside the U.S. to play some European tournaments against much stronger fields. Even with his junior success abroad, this will be quite a step up for the youngster. There are question marks over Roddick's backhand and also his ability to volley. His serve could see him through a couple of rounds at Wimbledon, but I'd be surprised if he went far this year. Even though he is probably most comfortable on hard courts, Roddick has a good game for clay, as reflected in his ATP victories in Atlanta and Houston. His consistency and patience beyond his years are other qualities that will help him at the French Open. However, Roddick may have erred by planning to play just one European warm-up tournament (the World Team Championship in Dusseldorf) before arriving at Roland Garros. Certainly though, Roddick is a dangerous outsider at all of this year's Slams, capable of an upset or two. Without doubt, a Grand Slam title or two is in the future of this likeable right-hander. Roddick will rocket up the rankings, likely to follow in the footsteps of past-and-present American heroes Courier, Agassi and Sampras. Australian-born Jason Dasey is co-anchor of World Sport, a 30-minute sports highlights and news program shown on CNN/SI and CNN International.
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