2010 MIAMI OPEN
SF
ANDY RODDICK v RAFAEL NADAL
4-6, 6-3, 6-3


Andy Roddick was in a familiar place
against Rafael Nadal. Nadal was using his heavy topspin shots to
dominate the baseline game.
Roddick had been beaten several times like this, so after the first set, he
decided he better try a different tactic. Although not totally comfortable
playing "serve
& volley" tennis, especially against the vicious passing shots hit by Nadal, Roddick stuck to his gameplan for the rest of the match.
Roddick's bravery and willingness to change strategies paid off.
"He started to play more aggressive,"
Nadal said. "It was a surprise for me."
Roddick's reply; "I took a lot of risks there in the last two sets," he said. "I
rolled the dice a lot and came up Yahtzee a couple times."
Nadal won 49 baseline points to 29 for Roddick. Almost every extended exchange
went the Spaniard's way.
"It was like water torture," Roddick said. "My comfort zone of moving the ball
around and maybe chipping it around a little bit doesn't work against Rafa.
It's very tough once we get neutral.
I don't hit the ball like him."
Roddick was a little stunned that his desperation strategy actually paid off.
As he walked up to shake the amazingly consistent Nadal's hand at the end, he thought to himself, "... I can't believe he actually just missed a ball on his forehand," Roddick said.
USA ORDERS:
NON-USA ORDERS: