[情報] Roddick hopes less is more in 2004
Roddick hopes less is more in '04
Charles Bricker
Published December 28, 2003
Less is more.
That's the Andy Roddick mantra going into the 2004 season, which for Roddick
begins in eight days in Doha, Qatar.
Less travel, and smarter travel. Fewer tournaments. Less clay. And, though he
has no desire to alter his are-we-having-fun-yet personality, probably less
visibility as well. He's not taking the same path Serena Williams traveled when
she reached the top hobnobbing with other sports stars and with members of the
Los Angeles entertainment industry.
That reality show that was going to peer into the crevices of Roddick's life,
both on and off the ATP tour, is officially on hold. Unofficially, it's highly
unlikely that Roddick is going to get involved. He does not see this coming
season as a celebration of reaching No. 1. In fact, the rejoicing ended weeks
ago.
This coming year is going to be a bear, filling with tension and extremely high
expectations. Roddick knows that. His coach, Brad Gilbert, knows it. And so
does the rest of the team he and his parents have organized to smooth his way
through the 10?-month season.
They've all spent hours on the telephone and in meetings throughout December,
mapping out 2004, and that includes a great deal of attention to scheduling.
This is Gilbert's first full year with Roddick and there will be differences
from the schedule former coach Tarik Benhabiles laid out.
Roddick will open in the Middle East on the way to Australia instead of going
directly Down Under. Andy will not take a lot of time off after the Australian
Open, as he did last season. Nor does he plan to fly to Monte Carlo after Key
Biscayne and come right back to the States to play Houston. That's an extra
trans-Atlantic ride he doesn't need.. He'll go directly to Houston after the
Nasdaq-100, then go to Europe.
His build-up to the French is carefully plotted. Rome, Hamburg, a week off, and
then Paris. He's paring back his clay court time by one event in order to be
well rested when he gets to Roland Garros, where he has lost in the first round
the last two seasons.
Like last season, he'll play one grass court event (Queens) in his run up to
Wimbledon, and that will give him a week off before he gets to the All England
Club.
After Wimbledon, Washington is off his schedule. He'll play Indianapolis,
Cincinnati and Canada, plus the Olympics, which begin Aug. 9. That will give
him a week off before the start of the U.S. Open, where he'll be defending his
title. Roddick loves playing for the United States and he's looking forward
to the Olympic Games, which combines individual performance with a sense of
team.
Roddick hasn't decided on a post-U.S. Open schedule, but there's a strong
chance he won't be back at the Delray Beach Tennis Center for the International
Tennis Championships. The tournament has been moved from early March to the
week after the Open and, if Roddick again goes deep into the draw in New York,
he's going to be emotionally spent after that second week.
"On paper, the scheduling is unfortunate," said Roddick's agent, Ken Myerson of
SFX. "But at this time it would be unwise to commit to playing there. Next year
is not going to be a cakewalk."
When Doha begins on Jan. 5, Roddick will be on top of the tennis world. He's
the No. 1 player in the world. He'll be seeded No. 1. He'll be the No. 1 target
at the Australian Open. If he falters, it won't be because he hasn't prepared
in this short off-season or because he hasn't been prepped for all the new
pressures that await him.
Roddick has trained hard the past month, spending a lot of time with his
brother, former pro John Roddick, in Austin, Texas. When you're No. 1, there's
only one direction to go. One way to decrease the pressure is to give him the
down time he needs, which means minimizing appearances and flights.
It also means staying clear of so-called reality shows,which have the potential
to invade his life at the worst times.
He's hired a full-time trainer in Doug Spreen, who for years worked for the ATP
tour, and he has carefully plotted his 2004 season. To remain at No. 1 all year
is unreasonable and he should settle for being No. 1 at the end of the season.
He should set a goal of winning at least one Grand Slam and reaching the second
week at the French Open.And he can do all that if he maintains his equilibrium.
He doesn't have to become as reclusive as Pete Sampras was during his six-year
stay at the top. But there are some lessons to be learned from the way Sampras
organized his life then.
--
"The canvas on the easel is empty.
He's got the paint in his hand and only time will tell."
-Brad Gilbert on how good Andy Roddick can become
--
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