There was no elbowing for position in the bowling lane-sized photographers’ pit Tuesday on the show court where Andy Roddick extended his streak of Wimbledon success.
A half dozen photojournalists documented Roddick’s 11th consecutive first-round victory at the All England Club, a 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory against Andreas Beck on Court One. In three of those appearances Roddick reached the final, only to lose each time to Roger Federer, most recently in 2009, when he succumbed, 16-14, in the fifth.
Two years in professional tennis is an eternity, long enough to lose the attention of a distracted public. Most people handicapping the men’s singles competition here have proclaimed it a strong four-horse race featuring Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Roddick, the 2003 United States Open champion, has drawn scant attentiondespite a strong showing in a semifinal loss to Murray, the eventual champion, in a Wimbledon tune-up at the Queen’s Club. To count Roddick out would seem rash given that he still speaks confidently and cracks a 140-mile-an-hour serve.
A list of health woes as long as an ace bandage -– knee and back ailments, mononucleosis and most recently a right shoulder injury that kept him out of the French Open –- has turned Roddick into an afterthought, maybe, but not, in his mind, a noncontender.
“I’m healthy for the first time in a while,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m compromising my game right now. So I feel good about where I’m at.”
The 28-year-old Roddick, who is seeded eighth, described his injuries as frustrating and said, “You can’t play completely comfortably or completely by instinct or the way you’d want to.”
He added: “But then I think almost worse is the mental dynamic of knowing you’re not completely right. The small margins that represent a win or a loss in sports, you know, become even smaller when something isn’t perfect.”
His foil on grass, Federer, has managed to skirt any serious injuries. Asked if he is surprised at how healthy Federer has managed to stay throughout his career, Roddick smiled and quipped, “He doesn’t even look like he’s trying when he plays so how are you going to get hurt?”
Roddick’s Wimbledon record suggests he doesn’t struggle in the first round. Not so, he said. “I think it’s impossible not to be anxious for the first round of a Slam,” he explained. “There’s so much build-up.”
He added: “There’s always a little bit of anxiety before you play your first round. You kind of got to work it out.”
Roddick settled in by making 42 winners against 10 unforced errors and 30 aces. “It’s kind of just matter of getting through,” he said.
A half dozen photojournalists documented Roddick’s 11th consecutive first-round victory at the All England Club, a 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory against Andreas Beck on Court One. In three of those appearances Roddick reached the final, only to lose each time to Roger Federer, most recently in 2009, when he succumbed, 16-14, in the fifth.
Two years in professional tennis is an eternity, long enough to lose the attention of a distracted public. Most people handicapping the men’s singles competition here have proclaimed it a strong four-horse race featuring Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Roddick, the 2003 United States Open champion, has drawn scant attentiondespite a strong showing in a semifinal loss to Murray, the eventual champion, in a Wimbledon tune-up at the Queen’s Club. To count Roddick out would seem rash given that he still speaks confidently and cracks a 140-mile-an-hour serve.
A list of health woes as long as an ace bandage -– knee and back ailments, mononucleosis and most recently a right shoulder injury that kept him out of the French Open –- has turned Roddick into an afterthought, maybe, but not, in his mind, a noncontender.
“I’m healthy for the first time in a while,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m compromising my game right now. So I feel good about where I’m at.”
The 28-year-old Roddick, who is seeded eighth, described his injuries as frustrating and said, “You can’t play completely comfortably or completely by instinct or the way you’d want to.”
His foil on grass, Federer, has managed to skirt any serious injuries. Asked if he is surprised at how healthy Federer has managed to stay throughout his career, Roddick smiled and quipped, “He doesn’t even look like he’s trying when he plays so how are you going to get hurt?”
Roddick’s Wimbledon record suggests he doesn’t struggle in the first round. Not so, he said. “I think it’s impossible not to be anxious for the first round of a Slam,” he explained. “There’s so much build-up.”
He added: “There’s always a little bit of anxiety before you play your first round. You kind of got to work it out.”
Roddick settled in by making 42 winners against 10 unforced errors and 30 aces. “It’s kind of just matter of getting through,” he said.
