Federer would praise Roddick even as he buried him, including successive years in the Wimbledon final.
Several years ago, I asked Federer about the generous praise he was already receiving for playing such an aesthetically pleasing game.
揟here I have to protect Andy,?he said, bringing Roddick into the discussion unsolicited, as he might now with Rafael Nadal. 揑f you look at the top 10, who else is playing with that power, with that serve? Most of the others are counterpunchers. Andy is also unique.?/P>
Eventually, Roddick became unique in a different way, as kind of a tennis anachronism. In midcareer crisis, with one Grand Slam victory, the sport was passing him by. And Roddick never did have much of a volley.
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揥hen Andy started, it was all slugging, serve and one shot, the big forehand,?Larry Stefanki said Thursday. 揂nd along came these big guys like Federer, over 6 feet, could hit hard but had more dimensions. Big guys who could move, had great footwork and great balance.
揥hen that happened, for a guy like Andy, it was time to look in the mirror and ask himself why these guys were starting to lap him.?/P>
Roddick, now in Stefanki抯 mentoring hands, had just finished a light practice for Friday抯 semifinal against Andy Murray in the shadow of Centre Court. On the world抯 most famous tennis stage, Elena Dementieva was forcing Serena Williams to show her moxie and her muscle to win an 8-6 third set. Then big sister Venus came on to pulverize another Russian, Dinara Safina, setting up a fourth all-Williams Wimbledon final.
First, Roddick has his chance ?after Federer and Tommy Haas play Friday抯 first men抯 semifinal ?to put Britain in a state of sporting depression to go along with economic recession.
揂ndy Roddick is the underdog,?Stefanki, the coach, said with conviction.
He wants Roddick to remember that, too, and that all the pressure is on the Scottish homeboy, Murray.
揑 coached Tim Henman for almost three years,?Stefanki said. 揑 know the dynamic here and, yes, that抯 part of this equation. But I also think that Murray has more of an alligator skin than Henman, is mentally tougher. Tim read too much, listened too much and talked too much. He was kind of a vacuum cleaner for what everyone else thought about him.?/P>
Spend a few minutes with Stefanki, a former journeyman player, and it is apparent that he thinks rather highly of his coaching self. He recites his successes with the likes of Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marcelo Rios as if they were rehearsed. He also coached John McEnroe for a spell, so he knows how to get a few words in edgewise with those who love the sound of their own voice.
To coach in this sport of fawned-over soloists, that would have to be a requirement. Stefanki seems to enjoy trying to draw the best from people, including journalists.
揑s that it??he says in midquestion. 揑 hope there抯 more.?/P>
The challenge is not confrontational. His answers are candid. And Stefanki抯 results with Roddick in mere months ?15 pounds lost, footwork noticeably lighter ?are more impressive than what Jimmy Connors accomplished when he was dressing up as if he were a Fortune 500 executive and attracting much television face time as Roddick抯 coach.
Connors did get Roddick to play more aggressively, however robotically, but Stefanki抯 plan for Roddick was to have him take that long overdue look in the mirror.
揑抦 a realist, an honesty guy,?Stefanki said. 揑f you want me to be the Shell Answer Man, we probably shouldn抰 be working together. I want you to tell me what you think you need to do to get better.?/P>
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At 26 and about to be married, Roddick was ready for some serious self-analysis, Stefanki said. Compared to Federer, among others, he could admit that his heavy feet made him resemble a plodding heavyweight alongside a youthful Ali. He changed his diet, put in the work. He did things that many affluent, middle-age athletes would rather not, and for that he deserves applause and respect.
But the God抯 honest truth? That still may not be enough to put another Grand Slam championship trophy in Roddick抯 hands. He will never be a dancer while an athlete like Federer, in particular, is Baryshnikov.
揧ou抮e right,?Stefanki said, nodding at that point. 揃ut Andy has gotten quicker, he has a lot of smarts in his head and, of course, he still has the serve.?/P>
Always the serve, the weapon that was supposed to make him the Next Great American in the years after Andre and Pete. Roddick was 21 when he won the United States Open in 2003, a year younger than Murray is now, trying to achieve what no British man has since 1936.
As Stefanki said, all the weight of the occasion is on Murray. Few here expect or want Roddick to win. You could say he has nothing to lose.
