Andy Roddick has an obstacle before him prior to the US Open: the Rogers Cup, held in Montreal, where he will have to face the Spaniard Fernando Verdasco for a position in the quarterfinals of the tournament. He already defeated Igor Andreev on Wednesday in straight sets; he will then face the veteran Verdasco in the third round of the tournament.

Roddick has been preparing himself to win another major tournament, and last week he participated in the Legg Mason Classic in Washington DC. He entered the final, where he lost against Juan Martin del Potro in a tiebreaker 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6). His performance was strong, and he said that he felt he would be in good shape for the US Open, which is held in late August in New York.

The top American player has been showing a very solid game in his last two tournaments. He is by far the best player on winning games in a tiebreaker, although ironically, despite a 28-8 record, he has lost his last two finals on a tie break. His most important – and most touted – loss came during the summer classic, the Wimbledon, where Roddick played against world number 1 Roger Federer. Roddick lost 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14. After that difficult game, Roddick seemed to face a turning point in his career.

“There's two options: You lay down or you keep going. The second option sounded better to me,” Roddick said after the infamous match.

[R1] His choice has taken hard work and intense training, but the effort has been paying off.

Roddick played very well last week, giving a performance that Larry Stefanki, Roddick’s new coach, appreciates. Stefanki has been in charge of Roddick’s comeback, and has focused on bringing solidity to the world number 5’s game. Stefanki has been working with Roddick since the Wimbledon fiasco; the coach said that he was very impressed with his player’s attitude towards the upcoming events.

The trauma at Wimbledon may be key for Roddick to continue his efforts for another Grand Slam title. Roddick has maintained a strict routine for preparation; he even lost 15 pounds during the off season in order to increase his speed and mobility on the court.

"The things that allow me to play well in those matches are things that started in December, not at Wimbledon," Roddick said. "It's about preparation; it's about getting through matches. I think during my career I've been portrayed as every single type of person: good, bad, ugly, rude, nice. I think people maybe realized it's not easy and it does take work."

Roddick is now ranked behind Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic. But something important has changed; he is no longer little brother to the greats. Roddick has proved that he is competition, that the Big Four suddenly have a competitor to watch out for.

About the Author

Audrey Nolan is a top senior copy writer for the international tennis championships as well as the top ranking sportsbetting:www.instantactionsports.com/uk. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.