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Newly crowned No.1 ripped apart by Roddick
London, June 15: Andy Roddick ripped apart Andre Agassi`s baseline game and unloaded the fastest-ever serve to reach the final of the Stella Artois Championships.
London, June 15: Andy Roddick ripped apart Andre Agassi's baseline game and unloaded the fastest-ever serve to reach the final of the Stella Artois Championships.
Roddick had never beaten the newly-crowned world number one in four previous attempts, but under a cloudless west London sky on Saturday (June 14), he was irrepressible and triumphed 6-1 6-7 7-6.
"You try to serve high pace," Roddick said, referring to the record 149 miles (239.8 km) per hour rocket he fired off in the second set.
"But not for the clock. You try to get it past the best returner of all time. That was my goal."
With second seed Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert watching his new young charge from the stands, Roddick started the match in explosive style.
On the very first point, the 20-year-old walloped a 139 miles (223.7 km) per hour ace past his fellow American -- the first of 27 he hit during the match.
It was immediately clear Agassi would not be allowed to enjoy his latest stint as the oldest world number one -- the 33-year-old secured the honour by winning his quarter-final here on Friday (June 13).
Instead, Roddick ran him ragged on the Queen's Club grass court, pumping winners left, right and centre to reel off the first set in just 20 minutes.
In the second game of the second set, the courtside speed gun showed Roddick to have hit the fastest serve on record, a 149 miles (239.8 km) per hour thunderbolt equalling the record set by Britain's Greg Rusedski in Indian Wells five years ago.
Agassi did return it, though, but the winner of eight grand slam titles had little else to be happy about afterwards. Railroaded in the first set, he dug his heels in and fought back in the second.
Roddick was unbending, but Agassi slammed winners of his own and levelled matters sneaking the second set tiebreak 7-5. The elder American even managed a break in the third set, but there was always a sense this would be Roddick's day and he broke back and forced a tiebreak.
The pair traded mini-breaks and Roddick fought off one match point at 6-5 down before clinching the win on his first match point 8-6 when Agassi fired a forehand long.
"I'm definitely disappointed, no question about it, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it. Again, I gave myself a look on a day when I felt like I could have done a lot of things better," Agassi said.
"For about the first 20 minutes, I was worried about trying to stretch the match to over an hour. It was going so quickly, and I managed to give myself a chance."
Bureau Report
On the very first point, the 20-year-old walloped a 139 miles (223.7 km) per hour ace past his fellow American -- the first of 27 he hit during the match.
It was immediately clear Agassi would not be allowed to enjoy his latest stint as the oldest world number one -- the 33-year-old secured the honour by winning his quarter-final here on Friday (June 13).
Instead, Roddick ran him ragged on the Queen's Club grass court, pumping winners left, right and centre to reel off the first set in just 20 minutes.
In the second game of the second set, the courtside speed gun showed Roddick to have hit the fastest serve on record, a 149 miles (239.8 km) per hour thunderbolt equalling the record set by Britain's Greg Rusedski in Indian Wells five years ago.
Agassi did return it, though, but the winner of eight grand slam titles had little else to be happy about afterwards. Railroaded in the first set, he dug his heels in and fought back in the second.
Roddick was unbending, but Agassi slammed winners of his own and levelled matters sneaking the second set tiebreak 7-5. The elder American even managed a break in the third set, but there was always a sense this would be Roddick's day and he broke back and forced a tiebreak.
The pair traded mini-breaks and Roddick fought off one match point at 6-5 down before clinching the win on his first match point 8-6 when Agassi fired a forehand long.
"I'm definitely disappointed, no question about it, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it. Again, I gave myself a look on a day when I felt like I could have done a lot of things better," Agassi said.
"For about the first 20 minutes, I was worried about trying to stretch the match to over an hour. It was going so quickly, and I managed to give myself a chance."
Bureau Report