1 Response to wb04_roddick_ancic

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 14, 2025 at 6:38 am

   Points won by each set: | 31-26, 28-35, 42-34, 45-44 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   36 % Roddick – 53 of 145
   30 % Ancic – 43 of 140

   [63] Ancic – the last man to play a pure serve-and-volley game in the Wimbledon semifinals. The year 2002 brought a shift in perception what’s possible on a slower grass when 3 out of 4 semifinalists were constructing points mainly occupying the baseline. It wasn’t the end of S/V yet because the following year Philippoussis would advance to the final approaching the net behind each serve, and Ancic almost repeated it in 2004. The young Croat played a very competitive rain-interrupted match on court No. 1 against two years older, more accomplished Roddick [2], who didn’t implement S/V even once in their semifinal clash. A-Rod trailed *3:4 in the opener when he began to impose his superiority. At 4:2 in the 2nd set he squandered a mini-set point, and a bad weather played its role – at 4:3 (30/40) it stared to rain. After the resumption the following day, Ancic won the first point with a long rally (16 strokes, his first overhead winner) allowing himself to break back. Roddick looked distracted, he was broken again, and forced to save five break points in his first service game of the 3rd set, including 0/40. Ancic led 5:4* when another rain-break helped Roddick that time in contrary. The American won three straight games when they returned on court. In the 4th set Roddick fought off a mini-set point with an ace at 3:4, escaped from 4:5 (15/30), and broke at 5-all benefiting from two double faults of his opponent. Serving to book a place in his first Wimbledon final, Roddick seemed nervous, but after squandering two match points, he erased a break point with an unreturned second serve, and got the last two points with forehand winners. # Five years later Roddick wins an almost identical Wimbeldon semifinal in terms of the scoreline against an offensive baseliner thus the match is 16 minutes longer despite two points fewer played.

   Fastest serves: Roddick 233 kph, Ancic 217 kph

   # Comparison of Roddick’s similar Wimbledon semifinals:
   2004: Roddick d. Ancic 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5… 2 hours 51 minutes… Total points: 146-139… Breaks: 4-2
   2009: Roddick d. Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6… 3 hours 7 minutes… Total points: 143-140… Breaks: 2-2

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