2005 Australian Open - Day #2
By Eleanor Preston  |  January 18, 2005

Andy Roddick had barely sat down in his post-match press conference after beating Irakli Labadze 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 when our very own Bud Collins, the doyen of American writers, asked him the question everyone has been itching to ask since Roddick arrived in Melbourne.

“Can you tell us a bit about your split from Brad? How it happened, why it happened?” asked Collins, ever the journalistic bloodhound.

Roddick’s break-up with Brad Gilbert, the man who transformed his game and took him from bright young thing to grand slam champion was one of the more surprising outcomes of the 2004 off season.

“I just felt the relationship had run its course. I had plateaued a little bit at the end of last year and I needed a fresh start,” said Roddick, before revealing the real reason for Gilbert’s departure from the payroll. “I felt like last year was as good a year as you could have without it being a great one.”

A great one, of course, would have been defined by doing more than ending the year as No.2 and winning four titles, more than making the Wimbledon final and the semis of the Masters Cup in Houston. It would have been defined by a grand slam title and/or ending the year as World No.1.

In short it would have meant being better than Roger Federer.

The task of turning Roddick into a genuine challenger to Federer now falls to Dean Goldfine, a man who made his name coaching the recently retired Todd Martin.

“You can go on personality but I was just going on chemistry,” said Roddick of his choice. “I had spent a little time with Dean at the Olympics and during the Davis Cup this year and I really liked how he went about things. I liked our whole chemistry together. More than anything I’m happy with his work ethic. We put in a lot of good work together during the off season, working on getting in a little bit more, the transition game, just kind of becoming a better athlete out there.”

Even under Gilbert Roddick had been trying to give himself the option of serving and volleying, something which never looks as though it comes naturally to him. Federer has such luxuriant gifts that he can switch between playing styles. Roddick is simply not as versatile, and that’s what he thinks has held him back from adding to the US Open title he won in 2003.

His big serve and thunderous groundstrokes were way too much for Labadze, mind you, but he may need to play better in his next match against Greg Rusedski.

Rusedski’s career was in turmoil this time last year as news of his positive test came to light but ever since he cleared his name with an anti-doping tribunal in March, the Canadian-turned-Brit has been busily clambering back up the rankings. He is back inside the World’s Top 50 (having fallen as low as 168 before Wimbledon last year) and proudly telling anyone who’ll listen that, at 31, he feels better than ever and is aiming to be back inside the top 20 by the end of the year.

Having clipped past Jonas Bjorkman in four sets, Rusedski fancies his chances against Roddick on Thursday. For one thing he has been given a new racket by his sponsors Dunlop and is already singing its praises. “I enjoy the racket. I don’t know if it’s me or the racket (laughing) but I like it.

“Andy is obviously going to be serving a lot better than Jonas did today and you’re going to have fewer chances but I also think Jonas returns better than Andy does. I’m going to have to make solid returns, I can’t just bunt the ball back because he’ll just run around that big forehand and dictate play. I’m going to have to take some risks.”

/// BACK