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Troicki Stuns Defending Champion Roddick in Legg Mason Quarters
Top-seeded Andy Roddick serves to Viktor Troicki of Serbia during their evening quarterfinal match, won by Troicki, 0-6, 6-2, 6-4.
(By Jim Mcisaac -- Getty Images)
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In his near-defeat to Eduardo Schwank on Thursday, Roddick double-faulted four times. For a player whose serve is one of the hallmarks of his game, this week's total was crippling.
"I was sloppy," Roddick said. "I double-faulted I don't know how many times this week and I rarely double-fault. That's unacceptable."
In fact, what he said are his strengths -- his serve and his forehand -- plagued him in Washington. His backhand, which he admitted is a weakness, turned into a reliable shot.
"That's the frustrating thing," Roddick said. "I'm doing a lot of things well, volleying okay, hitting the backhand well. My serve goes and I'm not hitting the forehand well. It's backwards. I spent seven years not being able to hit the backhand, now I can hit one and I'm missing serves and forehands. So you tell me."
What made the loss so puzzling was the dominance Roddick displayed in the first set. It lasted a total of 21 minutes. He won 10 of 11 first-serve points and looked like the type of player who justified his position on the tournament's billboards and as the top seed. In the next two sets, he was just 23 for 33 on first-serve points won.
The night began to turn in the second set with rain clouds ominously hovering over Rock Creek Park and eclipsing the moon. The disappointment turned demonstrative, with Roddick striking his racket against the ground as the revealing signal.
Roddick bypassed a chance to compete in Olympics for this tournament and to prepare for the U.S Open later in August. Now he exits Washington prematurely, and he must wait for his return in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. -- the site of his lone Grand Slam champion -- as the best opportunity redeem himself.
"This," Roddick said, "definitely isn't the way I want to go out."
