Bored Roddick pounds Canadian

'Federer is almost always on my mind'

By Ashlee Vance, 15th February 2007

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SAP Open A bored Andy Roddick clobbered Canadian Frank Dancevic during his opening match here at the SAP Open.

Roddick rolled through the first set 7-5 in just thirty minutes and then put the finishing touches on an unmoving match with a 20-minute 6-1 drubbing in the second set. Both the American and Dancevic struggled early on to deal with the pace of the HP Pavilion's hard-court. Roddick, however, adjusted first to the quick concrete and then, having broken Dancevic's spirit, sent off the 96-ranked man.

Players at this year's SAP Open requested that the court play faster than in the past, and organizers satisfied this plea. Officials claim the ball moves 50 per cent faster on this year's surface. As a result, neither Roddick nor Dancevic could muster much more than aces, service winners and unforced errors up to 6-5 in the first set.

Roddick then needed only a flash of competence to take the set, breaking Dancevic with a shoulder-diving forehand and then a ripping backhand winner.

"I was struggling out there early," Roddick said, during a press conference. "I wasn't making any shots. I was able to string two together that last game in the first set."

Roddick described the SAP Open surface as one of the fastest he has faced in recent months and obviously much faster the than they clay he played on last week during a Davis Cup match with the Czechs.

The cracked backhand at the end of the first set marked one of the few times that Roddick pulled out his two-hander during the match. He relied mostly on slice and his new attacking-style game. No one would confuse Roddick's hands with those of Sampras or Edberg, but he was decent enough today to put away a few volleys and dribble over a couple of nice drop shots.

Most of Dancevic's success came off his serve, which was Roddick's equal through much of the first set. Dancevic, however, had no answers from the ground or the net in the second set.

The SAP Open could provide a nice win for Roddick, who was demoralized by Roger Federer at the Australian Open.

"Roger is not on my mind 24 hours a day," Roddick said. "Only three hours a day when you guys are asking about him."

The SAP Open runs through Sunday and has stars such as Marat Safin, Andy Murray and James Blake. You can purchase access to online video of the matches here. ®

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