By Bud Collins
Bud Collins, the world’s most famous tennis journalist and author of the definitive tennis history book THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS, profiles the Andy Roddick and Felciano Lopez match Friday at the Australian Open. The following story – and other musings from Down Under – can be found at Bud’s official website www.BudCollinsTennis.com.
Ever been in a shooting gallery? Andy Roddick and Feliciano Lopez must have felt as though they’d stumbled into one Friday afternoon. And they were in the line of fire.
“Anything you can ace, I can ace better,” was their theme as they began bashing balls at each with the intent to kill off a rival, and enter the fourth round of the Australian Open.
After 3 ½ hours the Spaniard and the American had been riddled by their respective attacks that produced 58 aces – 29 apiece – and a victor who, I believe, has a genuine shot at the title: Roddick. It was Andy’s ball game, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), propelling him into the 16s against 2007 finalist, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
Roddick has beaten Lopez 6-for-6 now, but they agreed this was Felicio’s finest effort. There are fewer guys I would rather watch than Lopez, a silken strokemeister who brings such style to the game with his broad repertory of shots, speed, spins and quickness. His backhand passing shots, down the line or crosscourt, difficult for most left-handers, stream so effortlessly from Felicio’s racket. He is an artist and Roddick a house-wrecker, a contrast if there ever was one. But if Andy’s strokes seem homemade, don’t blow them off. They’re becoming more effective, even the backhand, and they’re backed up by the monster serve. Also his speed afoot that stole numerous points.
Roddick was reliable throughout, giving away only 18 points on errors, to Lopez’s 55. Felciano sighed, “I missed a few forehands at the end [4 in the decisive tie-breaker] and I think that was the difference.”
Andy’s serves were humming and kicking, avoiding trouble in the fourth, but “I got frustrated at the end, missing out on so many break points that could have settled it” – 6 in the fourth set.
After dropping the opening set in a breaker, Andy got through a critical passage in the second set, the 4th and 5th games. He held to 2-2 from 0-30, closing the game with a second ball ace, then broke to 3-2, his first real lead
Despite all the terrific shotmaking, the concluding tie-breaker contained a real weirdo. At match point (1-6 for Roddick), he and Lopez were at the net. Lopez popped up a ball and Roddick went into kill mode with an overhead smash. But instead of putting it away, he almost missed, grazing the ball with the top of his frame. The ball wobbled over the net, but returned with reverse spin to Andy’s side. There it was within the rules for Lopez to reach across the net and bunt the ball for a winner.
Lopez saved the next match point with a service winner (3-6), and almost saved a third. However, Roddick’s legs finished it as he made splendid gets, pushing Lopez to a last forehand mistake.
The shooting gallery was closed, and attention turned toward John Isner, still is – is yet in the Open on a stirring victory over the dynamic Frenchman, Gael Monfils with a liberating ace on match point, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5).
Young John, victor over Roddick at the U.S. Open, leaped as high as he could as the concluding ball whizzed past Monfils. Since Isner’s 6-9, he had a bird’s eye view for an instant.
On top of the world and the tournament goes on.