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Exit Sampras, enter Roddick as champion for new generation
New York, Sept 08: Pete Sampras had barely taken his final bow and made a gala curtain call when Andy Roddick debuted another spectacular Broadway tennis show that figures to be a long-running smash hit.
New York, Sept 08: Pete Sampras had barely taken his final bow and made a gala curtain call when Andy Roddick debuted another spectacular Broadway tennis show that figures to be a long-running smash hit.
Roddick captured his first grand slam title here yesterday, defeating world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3 7-6 (7/2) 6-3 in the US Open final, using the same power-serving style Sampras used for 14 slam titles before his exit.
Sampras retired when the fortnight began and Michael Chang followed the next day, all-but closing a generation of American tennis just in time for Roddick to realise his long-awaited slam potential eight days past his 21st birthday.
"I don't think you could have written a script any better," Roddick said. "Starting it off with Pete's retirement. Chang is gone. All that. It was just too good."
And the most annoyingly repeated question Roddick faces is now history.
"No more 'what's it like to be the future of American tennis crap?' no more," Roddick said.
Thirteen weeks after dumping French coach Tarik Benhabiles for Andre Agassi's former mentor Brad Gilbert, Roddick used his powerful serve and uncanny precision to craft a breakthrough triumph.
Bureau Report
Roddick captured his first grand slam title here yesterday, defeating world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3 7-6 (7/2) 6-3 in the US Open final, using the same power-serving style Sampras used for 14 slam titles before his exit.
Sampras retired when the fortnight began and Michael Chang followed the next day, all-but closing a generation of American tennis just in time for Roddick to realise his long-awaited slam potential eight days past his 21st birthday.
"I don't think you could have written a script any better," Roddick said. "Starting it off with Pete's retirement. Chang is gone. All that. It was just too good."
And the most annoyingly repeated question Roddick faces is now history.
"No more 'what's it like to be the future of American tennis crap?' no more," Roddick said.
Thirteen weeks after dumping French coach Tarik Benhabiles for Andre Agassi's former mentor Brad Gilbert, Roddick used his powerful serve and uncanny precision to craft a breakthrough triumph.
Bureau Report