Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick remains on track to return at the SAP Open in San Jose, even though he says he hasn't hit a tennis ball since hurting his right hamstring in the second round of the Australian Open.

Roddick said on a conference call Thursday that an MRI exam showed a partial tear in the tendon after he hurt his leg in a match against Lleyton Hewitt on Jan 19.

Roddick, who turns 30 in August, was hurt in th...

Andy Roddick remains on track to return at the SAP Open in San Jose, even though he says he hasn't hit a tennis ball since hurting his r...

Action needed after no-shows: Roddick
SHANGHAI — Andy Roddick said on Monday that Shanghai Masters no-shows from Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were stark evidence of the toll put on players by their punishing schedules.
The shine has been taken off the tournament due to the absence of injured world number one Djokovic and 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer, leaving only Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray of the current "Big Four".
Murray told the BBC last month he had held several talks with other players at the US Open and they would be discussing the issue in Shanghai.
Roddick, speaking after a first-round win in Shanghai over Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun, said it had to be addressed.
"People have to understand, people act like we pull out and we get something out of it. We don't get anything. They're out of the bonus pool now. They don't get their money this week.
"Obviously, if they were feeling well and they weren't worn down, then they would (play). We're not getting away with anything by pulling out of tournaments. I feel like that's the way it's presented sometimes. That's just not the case," he added.
Former world number one Roddick said players were still fired up over the issue and insisted Federer and Djokovic were "only a phone call away" but he was unsure what would happen in Shanghai.
"I don't think we're storming offices, but I think the sentiment is still there. I think it is a broken system purely from a numbers game on votes on our, you know, player board and council and all that."
Roddick also raised the issue of earnings for players lower down the rankings compared with other sports, which forces them to play a demanding schedule.
"You know, if we're getting selfish about it, I think players get 13 percent of total revenue, something like that, from the US Open, and the NBA is at a crossroads because they're going to have to go from 57 percent to 50 percent. That's an alarming number.
"That's not the be all and end all. I think we all feel very fortunate for what we get, but we are putting people in seats.
"We're spoiled. We're lucky. We get it. There's nobody complaining about anything. But if you look at, I said it the other day, the guy on the PGA Tour just won $11.5 million (Bill Haas).
"I think 15 on the all-time ATP career prize money list was $14 million", Roddick added, comparing the all-time earnings of tennis players with the prize money from a one-off golf tournament.
Roddick said tennis players ranked about 80 or 90 in the world were not making the same money as many baseball players and were also having to pay expenses out of their own pockets.
"That is who it would benefit even more so than us, but it starts with us," said Roddick.
The sport's administrators claim the players are to blame for the heavy schedule because they voted for current dates and point to changes such as allowing the top eight seeds byes into the second rounds of tournaments.
http://bit.ly/mWjS3m

Roddick Loses Cool in Kohlschreiber Upset
http://nyti.ms/rjjIJm

MASON, Ohio (Reuters) - An angry and frustrated Andy Roddick lost his cool as he crashed out of the Cincinnati Open in the first round on Monday, suffering a three-set loss to 47th-ranked German Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Kohlschreiber advanced with a 6-7 7-5 6-1 victory but 15th ranked Roddick left the court complaining to the umpire after a bad-tempered display, where he petulantly smashed his racket and fired the ball into the crowd.

Roddick, who continues to be dogged by injury troubles, was given a warning after throwing down his racket at the loss of the second set and whacked the ball into the stands after double-faulting in the third set's second game.

The American was handed a penalty point for the incident, which gave the break to Kohlschreiber and Roddick, making frequent comments to the umpire, never regained his composure.

Rather than celebrate, Kohlschreiber departed the court shaking his head while Roddick was left with a disappointing defeat to contemplate ahead of the U.S. Open that starts in two weeks.

But the American, who having lost his spot among the world's elite is now likely to exit the top 20 in the next rankings, insisted the official had over-reacted to blast into the stands.

"Obviously it a split second thing. Soon as I did it I wanted it back. It was a judgment call for him. I am pretty sure I saw an eight year old girl catch it on the way down. He was telling my I hit it as hard as I could," said the American, who has been out with an abdominal muscle injury.

"It just sucks. I can't blame him, but I'm sitting here turning a six-week injury into a three-week injury, rehabbing eight hours a day, and a split second decision he interjects himself and it's done.

"It's so frustrating. I certainly accept what I did. I put him in a bad situation out there.

"But I do think it's stupid in tennis that I mean, in football if someone throws a helmet on the sideline, it's their helmet. We wonder where we lose our ratings battles to the WWE, Monday Night Raw," he said, referring to the popular U.S. wrestling show.

"John McEnroe, the guy is still getting endorsements because he was allowed to throw (expletive).

"I understand where (the umpire) is coming from but at a certain point, you know, you hit a tennis ball into a stadium, someone goes home with a souvenir, and it pretty much ruins the match from there. Seems counterproductive."

Roddick, who is attempting to get himself back in shape ahead of the U.S. Open at the end of the month, will play the ATP event in Winston-Salem next week but admitted he was still some way from full fitness.

"Tonight, I was feeling it. I don't know that I quite had my legs back yet. I think it would have taken a lot tonight.

"I was just disappointed. Equal parts mad and also disappointed in myself. You know, it's essentially a long uphill battle from there. So I was pretty mad at myself," he added.

"I just want to play good tennis. For two sets tonight I actually hit the ball well considering. I hit the ball a lot better than I thought I would, if I'm being totally candid," he said.

http://bit.ly/oNcllw
Larry Stefanki: The Brightest Mind In Tennis?
A Candid Conversation with the Brain Power Behind Andy Roddick

Roddick commits to Winston-Salem Open
http://bit.ly/rt6rMD

Andy Roddick, formerly No. 1 in the world tennis rankings, has committed to play in the inaugural Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest.

Tournament director Bill Oakes announced the addition Wednesday.

The tournament, which features draws of 48 singles players and 16 doubles teams, is scheduled Aug. 20-27 — the week before the U.S. Open — at a new tennis complex between Wake Forest's BB&T Field and the school's indoor tennis facility.

"It's hard to really frame how big of a deal it is to get Andy Roddick to play this event," Oakes said. "In his 11 years on the professional tour, he has never played the week before the U.S. Open.

"He has a variety of commitments related to sponsors and media and other things the week before the U.S. Open in New York, so for him to forgo those to play in the Winston-Salem Open is extremely significant."

Plus, Oakes said, Roddick is the biggest name in American tennis.

Roddick, 28, is currently No. 12 in the ATP rankings. He was ranked No. 1 for much of 2003, when he won the U.S. Open.

He is one of eight Americans to win 30 World Tour tournaments in his career, has been the runner-up at Wimbledon three times and has won at least one title in each of the past 11 years. His most recent tournament title came in Memphis in February.

Roddick will get an undisclosed guarantee for playing in the Winston-Salem Open, in addition to whatever he wins from the tournament's prize pool of $625,000.

Coupled with Mardy Fish, who is No. 8 in the ATP rankings, Roddick gives the tournament added prestige, Oakes said. Oakes said that Roddick's connection with Fish helped land Roddick.

"One of our biggest ambassadors is Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick's best friend, and at Davis Cup a couple of weeks ago, Andy asked Mardy why he was playing a week before the U.S. Open in Winston-Salem," Oakes said. "And Mardy said, 'Look, it's a no-brainer. If I play in the finals in Winston-Salem, they're going to fly me up by private jet to New York for the U.S. Open, and I don't have to play until Tuesday in New York.' It's a nice scenario."

Roddick is no stranger to Winston-Salem. He has a 5-0 record in Davis Cup matches played here, and his first match as the top-ranked American player came in a World Group qualifier at Joel Coliseum in 2001, when he was 19. He also played in the Flow Motors Invitational before turning pro.

"I think (Roddick's entry) provides an oomph for tickets, sponsors, TV, media, everything," Oakes said. "It really does help us.

"(Roddick) has had some injuries this year, so he's really looking forward to using us as a springboard to a strong U.S. Open."

Other entries in the Winston-Salem Open include Americans John Isner, Sam Querrey, Ryan Harrison and Donald Young, as well as Jurgen Melzer, Bernard Tomic, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Baghdatis, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Nikolay Davydenko, Tommy Robredo and Ernests Gulbis, the winner last week in an ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Los Angeles.

Ten of the top 40 in the ATP rankings have committed to the Winston-Salem Open.

Seven players will be added to complete the 48-man singles draw, with four added through a qualifying round Aug. 20-21.

"The other three will be identified by the Friday before the tournament," Oakes said. "We're working on that right now.

"We have 17 days to go and we're very excited. We're really excited to have Andy playing. It's gratifying to see a player like Andy decide to play here."

http://bit.ly/nlQiys

Injured Roddick withdraws from Washington

Washington - US number two Andy Roddick on Thursday withdrew from next week's Washington ATP event because of an abdominal muscle injury.

Tournament officials confirmed that the former US Open winner was suffering from a strained oblique muscle. The three-time champion claimed his last title at the event in 2007.

Roddick joins fellow injury victims Sam Querrey (elbow surgery) and Canadian Milos Raonic (hip operation) in missing the pre-US Open hard-court event.

Roddick, 28, last played in a losing Davis Cup effort against Spain three weeks ago after going out in the Wimbledon second round.

Roddick claims to be unconcerned by his mauling at the hands of Murray at Queens:

"I think it's about fine tuning more than re-inventing the wheel next week. I don't think I did a whole lot wrong. I felt like I hit the ball well. My serve, I haven't seen it, but I had to be close to 70 percent. I remember missing one second serve return. I felt like I missed a bunch of chips and stuff by an inch or two. It certainly does nothing to my confidence level going into Wimbledon. I just thought he played too good today."

was hoping to cash in on a huge french open upset involving roddick..ah well