1 Response to ao04safin_roddick

1. Voo de Mar says:

   February 19, 2021 at 5:01 pm

   Points won directly behind the serve:
   30 % Safin – 47 of 152
   40 % Roddick – 61 of 150

   Roddick’s last match as the best player in the world (a 3-hour 22-minute encounter). He was three points away from losing the match in four sets at *5:6 (40/30), then he won 13 points in a row. He led 4:3* in the decider as the Russian [86] took the last three games. A-Rod hadn’t any break point between the end of the 1st set and the last game of the match as he squandered a double break point (Safin won the final four points in this manner: ace, unreturned second serve, two volley winners). Before the Safin match, Roddick was in a tremendous form in Melbourne defeating in straight sets very good players (Gonzalez, Ulihrach, Dent, Schalken), who were presenting different styles. It seemed A-Rod was on his way to claim his second major in a row to consolidate his rule in men’s tennis. That match against Safin is also important in terms of tight deciding fifth sets; between it and the end of Roddick’s career, he won only 1 match losing 10 when the scoreline indicated 4-all or 5-all in the 5th set! Absurd stats given how well Roddick was dealing with tight endings until that Safin match.

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