Andy Roddick meets
Robin Haase in the first round of the Australian Open 2012. It is going to be a
fight between experience and exuberance. Andy Roddick has strong weapons to
pull himself out of trouble but Robin Haase is no pushover. He has had
impressive victories over some big names like Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, Marat
Safin and Gilles Simon. It is likely to be a close fight.
They had met in
the Australian Open last year when Roddick prevailed in four sets. Roddick has
since moved down from eighth rank to sixteenth and Haase has climbed a bit. Both
of them earned one title in 2011. Robin Haase seems to have a penchant for
giving trouble to top players. At Wimbledon 2010, he led the eventual champion
Rafael Nadal two sets to one before succumbing in five. He gave a scare to Andy
Murray at the U.S Open 2011 when he led him by two sets to love but lost the
plot thereafter. At Wimbledon 2008, he took Lleyton Hewitt to five sets. Haase
sometimes finds himself unable to consolidate a winning position in the match.
He does great work to go up, but then falters as the finishing line approaches.
Roddick will rely
heavily on his serve and will try to win his service games to get into a
position to put pressure on Haase’s serve. But he does not have put away shots and
a five year younger Haase will run down all angles thrown at him. Haase is
likely to attack Roddick's back hand where he mostly tries to keep the ball in
play. Haase also possesses a good serve which may look ever better against
Roddick since he is not such a good returner.
It will be an
absorbing contest. Although an upset in not on the cards, it cannot be
ruled out either.
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