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Andy Roddick: I am feeling good

Jun 23, 2011

Andy Roddick: I am feeling good

Andy Roddick considers himself a serious Wimbledon contender and an impressive victory on Wednesday showed he might be right.

It would be some surprise if the men's champion comes from outside the established top four in the world rankings - Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

However, Roddick has reached three previous Wimbledon finals and his 6-4 6-3 6-4 demolition of Victor Hanescu on Centre Court eased him through to the third round on Wednesday.

With 15 aces, no double faults and not a single loss of serve, there is clearly one significant part of the American's game which requires little work.

Next up for Roddick will be Spain's Feliciano Lopez, who was a four-set winner over Germany's Rainer Schuttler.

Roddick hit the target with 65% of first serves, and anything around that mark makes him a tough opponent.

A slight change of grip has lifted his percentages out of the 50s, and should he serve consistently well he might just be the player who prevents the top four occupying the semi-final slots.

A possible quarter-final with Murray lies ahead, and he beat the Briton in the semi-finals two years ago.

The serve, the weapon which has defined his career, is working just fine in Roddick's opinion, after he banished a bad habit.

"I think it's back to where it was as opposed to me changing anything I've done for a decade," he said. "That would probably explain why my shoulder was beat up, too.

"If you change something, are hitting something different than a way you have before, even without knowing, sometimes have you to go back to basics. I never had to do that on my serve before.

"But is that all it was? I don't know. But I feel good with where it's at right now."

To be watched by his parents, Jerry and Blanche, was a treat for the 28-year-old.

"This is the first time they've seen me play here," said the finalist of 2004, 2005 and 2009.

"I think today was the first time they ever sat in a box in my entire career.

"They picked a good court to debut that on. I think they're having fun. They're having a good time."

Roddick should be confident heading into his clash with Lopez, having beaten the same opponent in the first round at Queen's Club a fortnight ago, albeit in a deciding set.