Athletes - Andy Roddick

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	Athletes - Andy Roddick

Andrew Stephen Roddick, (born August 30, 1982 in Omaha, Nebraska), nicknamed A-Rod (see ), is a professional tennis player from the United States and is a former World No. 1.

As of March 21st 2006, Roddick ranked as the best male US tennis player and the fourth-best in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals, behind Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian. Roddick is known for his explosive serves, powerful forehands, and off-court charm and personality. He also holds the fastest serve record (clocked at 155 mph, or 250 km/h).

Tennis career

Roddick turned professional in 2000 at 18. In 2001, he became the youngest player to end the year in the ATP Top 20.

In 2002, Roddick lost in straight sets to big serving Greg Rusedski in the second round at Wimbledon. By 2003, at age 21, was ranked No. 1, the first American to finish a year at No. 1 since Andre Agassi in 1999. He also became the youngest American and second-youngest player (behind Australian Lleyton Hewitt, aged 20 years, 8 months) to hold this rank since computer rankings were started in 1973.

Roddick's outstanding hardcourt record in summer 2003 included his first Masters Series titles -- coming at Canada and Cincinnati -- and his first Grand Slam title at the 2003 US Open, in which he rallied from two sets down and down a match point in the semifinals to beat David Nalbandian and dispatching finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets (6-3 7-6 6-3).

In 2004, Roddick set the world record for the fastest serve: 246.2 km/h (153.5 mph) during a straight-set victory over Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan in the quarter-finals of the Queens Club grass-court tournament. On August 31 of that year, he had the fastest serve in US Open history: 244 km/h (152 mph) against young American Scoville Jenkins. But Roddick was unexpectedly knocked out of the tournament in a spectacular 5-set quarterfinal match against another big server, Joachim Johansson. He finished 2004 ranked as the world's No. 2, the USA's No. 1, and the player with the most aces (he hit 1017 of them in 2004).

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Roddick lost to Chilean Fernando González, the eventual bronze medal winner, in the third round. Roddick was part of a USA tennis delegation that included Taylor Dent, Mardy Fish, Vince Spadea, Bob and Mike Bryan, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Chanda Rubin, and Lisa Raymond. Later that year, Roddick teamed up again with Fish and the Bryans on the U.S. Davis Cup team that lost to Spain in the 2004 finals in Seville. Roddick lost his singles match against Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal, who would in the following year win the French Open.

By the end of 2004, Roddick fired his coach of 18 months, Brad Gilbert, and hired assistant Davis Cup coach Dean Goldfine.

Roddick's first 2005 victory was the SAP Open in San José, California, where he was the first to win the event in consecutive years since Mark Philippoussis in 1999 and 2000. The top-seeded Roddick breezed to a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Cyril Saulnier in 50 minutes, the event's first championship shutout set since Arthur Ashe beat Guillermo Vilas in 1975.

On April 24, 2005, Roddick won the U.S. Men's Claycourt Championships, reclaiming the title he won in 2001 and 2002. He lost in 2003 to Andre Agassi and in 2004 to Tommy Haas.

In May 2005, Roddick had match point against Spanish big-hitter Fernando Verdasco, a man who Roddick says "has the biggest forehand in tennis." Verdasco was serving, attempting to save the match point on his second serve when the linesman erroneously called the serve out. If this call had held, Roddick would have won the match. Roddick motioned to the umpire, pointing to the clear ball mark on the clay indicating the ball was in and the call was consequently changed. Verdasco went on to win the match. Many in the American media echoed sentiments such as Roddick had chosen "sportsmanship over a win." However, by Roddick's own admission, the umpire would certainly have come down from his chair since Verdasco was about to challenge the call anyway, and would have been able to see the clear ball mark indicating that the serve was in. Roddick said that he was just saving the umpire a trip.

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Athletes - Andy Roddick

Tennis career

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