For Roddick, greatness is but a matter of time

ANDY RODDICK is hip, he's Hollywood (tennis' young Terminator with an actress girlfriend), he's young, he's cool. He's, to use his own word, a dude.

ROHIT BRIJNATH

ANDY RODDICK is hip, he's Hollywood (tennis' young Terminator with an actress girlfriend), he's young, he's cool. He's, to use his own word, a dude. Like when he's asked early on at Wimbledon about being the favourite, he just brushes it off, like he does less muscled opponents, and drawls: "It's just speculation, dude".

He's a powerful dude, a funny dude, too. He pleads with a bee to sting a dominant Roger Federer during their semi-final; he laughs when Federer hits an impossible shot and calls it "ridiculous". When someone asks him if he's read coach Brad Gilbert's book, Winning Ugly, he smiles: "I don't need to read it. I have the author."

Andy Roddick's too young to have learnt to be terse in the press room, too laidback to be rude. He listens to a reporter ask him about whether he enjoys being a sex symbol, and replies: "Do you want to go to dinner later?"

Elsewhere he speaks a language we don't understand too well. Like beginning his diary on his website by saying, "Hey all, what's shakin'" and ends it by writing "peace out". Go figure that out. Go figure out his game, too. He was supposed to be one-dimensional, so what's he doing as No. 6 in the world?

Andy Roddick's not interested in pressure, he's not rattled by all the talk about being the next American hope. Instead, he says: "Ah man, it (the pressure) has been there forever, ever since I started playing in the pros. I don't remember a time when I haven't been the next guy, the next big thing, the next this, you know, the next everyone, the next Pete, the male Venus. It's something I've had to get used to. Now I don't think about it that much except when I'm answering questions.''

Andy Roddick is 20, where did he get that wise head on his shoulders?

Andy Roddick actually used not to have a wise head on his shoulders. When things got tight in a match, his ears resembled a chimney, he'd thump his racket, call an umpire at the US Open a "moron". He'd lose his head, and then often the match.

Then he grew up. You could see that in the Federer semi-final. His game was exposed but his temper stayed locked. Later, it's pointed out that for a while he seemed ready to return to his good old days of racket throwing. He replies: "Oh, no, I kept it together, man." It's a small thing you think; no, it's a huge leap.

Andy Roddick is braver, tougher than we think. Tarik Benhabiles picked him up and coached him into becoming a contender. They became friends, almost family. So what does Roddick do, he drops Benhabiles. It looks rude, but sport isn't about politeness, it's selfish.

To get to another level; he requires another coach. It's hard, but it needs to be done. As Roddick said: "You know, it's even tougher when the only reason I can give him (Tarik) is, you know, maybe I need a fresh voice. It's tough. I mean, I think he's a great coach. I was seconds — days away from signing to a college. He just said, "Give me a couple months." I did. A couple of months later, I was No. 1 in the world in juniors. It was definitely a whirlwind with him. I definitely wouldn't be talking to you guys on a regular basis if it wasn't for him."

Andy Roddick picks as replacement a man reportedly known as "CNN" because he talks so much. Day after Roddick calls him, Brad Gilbert, who once coached Andre Agassi, is by his side. And giving advice. Says Roddick: "He says maybe take more chances on return games, you're going to hold serve 90-something per cent of the time. That's one of the first things he told me." It's already working. After all, for a guy who doesn't volley, a Wimbledon semi-final place ain't all that bad.

Andy Roddick, of course, maybe should volley more. Too many returns from Federer came floating back, pleading to be put away at the net, but he was still standing at the baseline. So Federer made Roddick look bad, from tournament favourite he was looking like lost amateur. But the stylish Federer, his type, they come along once a generation and that's if you pray a lot. Roddick's never going to be Federer, even if he prays a lot. Not in this lifetime. But he's trying to be the best player he can be and that's not to be sneered at.

Agassi once told a journalist this about Gilbert: "Brad believes that 5 per cent of the time your opponent is in the zone and you will not win. Five per cent of the time you get in the zone and can't lose. The other 90 per cent of the time it's up for grabs; there is a way to win. You've just got to figure it out."

Andy Roddick is still figuring it out, how to win that is, how to get better. His improvement may be incremental but it's there. He's fitter than last year, and go back and watch a tape of that marathon against Younes El Ayanoui at the Australian Open if you're not convinced. He's less inclined to give away a match, too, and down to two sets to love to Michail Youzhny at the Australian and still hanging in, and winning, is adequate proof.

Fine, his backhand's not a weapon but it's less of a liability, especially on the return. As he said at Wimbledon: "Last year I can remember hitting one backhand passing shot in the whole day. I remember feeling a little embarrassed about it. But, you know, this year's a little different. I still missed some, but when I missed them, I was going for them and I was trying to do something with them, I had a purpose."

His opponents will reinforce that. Greg Rusedksi admitted, "He's improved, he's doing things a little bit more intelligently out there." Paradorn Srichaphan added: "He's moving well, and he's serving well. He just needs one break from his opponent so...''.

Andy Roddick on court will never be an aesthetic experience, but at least he's fun. He's like a kid on the loose with a sledgehammer and he makes for colourful mayhem. To a tennis world of marble-faced competitors with deadpan answers he brings zest and personality. Asked if his physically aggressive style might hurt him a few years down the line, he said: "Man, I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. You're talking six years down the line. Are you kidding me?"

Andy Roddick said this year that he belongs a little more on the tour. He sees himself as a contender. He's readying for the big time. It's hard to disagree.

After all, you have to think, for this hip, young, cool dude, greatness is but a matter of time.