TNT Sports
Roddick tipped as Champ
By
Published 28/06/2003 at 11:49 GMT+1
The thunderbolt serve is as crushing as ever, but now Brad Gilbert's new pupil Andy Roddick has an added dynamism and is being tipped as a potential winner of this year's Wimbledon. See all the action live at 13:00 CET on eurosport.com
Eurosport
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The scars of 20-year-old's first round defeat at the French Open have begun to heal quickly and the decision to hire Gilbert one-time coach to Andre Agassi is vindicated.
The pair began to work together at Queen's Club and after an electrifying victory over Andre Agassi, a win over Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean in the final set the momentum going.
Roddick says he is learning new things about himself on a day-to-day basis and it is no coincidence that under Gilbert's tutelage he is already beginning to unlock a few mental barriers.
Three weeks into their professional relationship the Nebraskans leap in confidence has been particularly evident in his defeats of Italian Davide Sanguinetti, Brit Rusedski and Tommy Robredo of Spain.
One extraordinary improvement in "A-Rod's" power game is that in his three matches at SW19 he has lost just one of 46-service games and surrendered one of just five break points against him.
Former Wimbledon champions Boris Becker, Pat Cash and John McEnroe all believe that Gilbert's influence is already taking hold.
COACHING CREDENTIALS
Gilbert is considered to be one of the greatest coaches of all-time having coached Agassi to six Grand Slam titles plus a 1996 Olympic gold in a six-year tenure.
As a professional Gilbert's successes gained him a reputation of "winning ugly" - using tactical and well-researched evaluation - to beat more talented players.
He reached a career high world ranking of number four in 1990 in a 12-year career that netted him 20 singles titles and almost £4m in prize money.
The rare acumen of a tennis thinker inspired Agassi into asking his fellow countryman for advise at the 1994 Lipton Championships and his book 'Winning Ugly' has since become a professional players bible.
GILBERT'S PHILOSOPHY
Gilbert realises that to become a top-level professional you need to be talented but this alone will not win you matches consistently.
Throughout a match your opponent will be in a zone in which you can do nothing but hope to stay in contention. Then, when you get the initiative perhaps through a return of serve or fortunate net-cord you will be the one that cannot lose.
It is this that Roddick is only beginning to realise.
By breaking down your opponent's strengths and weaknesses and putting together a set of clear tactics there is a way of taking care of business and winning in straight sets.
This may be a new development in Roddick's career, but for Gilbert's former pupil Agassi it is something that he continues to employ successfully and has enabled him to pick up a haul of titles at the age of 33.
While the pair are on course for the Wimbledon final on Sunday 6th July, Gilbert will be hoping that his old apprentice's memories of teaching the intricacies of the mental and tactical game will have dimmed with age.
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