Andy Roddick v. Roger Federer Tennis Masters Cup Preview

Andy Roddick has already qualified for the semifinals in the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup, but depending on this third wave of matches, the other semifinal spot is still up for grabs, with Roger Federer and Fernando Gonzalez both having a shot. Nikolay Davydenko, who can’t qualify, can still have an impact on their campaigns, however.

Federer has completed dominated his head-to-head with Roddick, the only blemish being in the semis of AMS Canada four years ago, where Roddick edged him in a third set tie-break. Although the Swiss has won 10 straight meetings since, the American has had his chances, including in their round robin encounter at the Tennis Masters Cup last year, where he let go of three match points in the second set tie-break. Since losing that tie-break, Roddick has lost seven straight sets to Federer.

No. 1 ROGER FEDERER (SUI) vs. No. 5 ANDY RODDICK (USA)
Federer leads ATP meetings, 14-1
01 Basel (Switzerland) Carpet QF Roger Federer 3-6 6-3 7-6(5)
02 Sydney (Australia) Hard SF Roger Federer 7-6(3) 6-4
02 Basel (Swizerland) Carpet QF Roger Federer 7-6(5) 6-1
03 Wimbledon (England) Grass SF Roger Federer 7-6(6) 6-3 6-3
03 AMS Canada (Canada) Hard SF Andy Roddick 6-4 3-6 7-6(3)
03 Tennis Masters Cup (U.S.A.) Hard SF Roger Federer 7-6(2) 6-2
04 Wimbledon (England) Grass F Roger Federer 4-6 7-5 7-6(3) 6-4
04 AMS Canada (Canada) Hard F Roger Federer 7-5 6-3
04 Bangkok (Thailand) Hard F Roger Federer 6-4 6-0
05 Wimbledon (England) Grass F Roger Federer 6-2 7-6(2) 6-4
05 AMS Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard F Roger Federer 6-3 7-5
06 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard F Roger Federer 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1
06 Tennis Masters Cup (China) Hard RR Roger Federer 4-6 7-6(10) 6-4
07 Australian Open (Australia) Hard SF Roger Federer 6-4 6-0 6-2
07 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard QF Roger Federer 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 6-2

Federer Facts:

The Swiss superstar will finish No. 1 for a fourth straight year ... Won ATP-best seven titles (in 11 finals) for fifth consecutive season, including three Grand Slam crowns for third time in four years and at least two ATP Masters Series shields ... Will be only fourth player since 1973 to end year at No. 1 for at least four straight years, joining Pete Sampras (6), Jimmy Connors (5), John McEnroe (4) ... Also first player in history to reach all four Grand Slam finals in back-to-back years and has reached an all-time record 10 consecutive Slam finals ... Competed in 11 finals in 15 tournaments ... Since beginning of 2004, has compiled a match record of 311-23 (.931) with Nadal, Nalbandian and Canas only players to beat him more than once in that stretch ... Has ranked No. 1 every week since first taking over on Feb. 2, 2004, and has ranked No. 1 for 198 weeks (as of Nov. 12, 2007) and broke record of Connors (160) for most consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Feb. 26, 2007 ... Began year with a repeat title at Australian Open (d. Gonzalez) without dropping a set (first Slam title without losing a set) ... Returned to action in Dubai and won title for fourth time in five years (d. Youzhny) ... In March, his career-best 41-match winning streak (going back to ‘06 US Open) came to an end with opening round loss to Canas ... Then lost to Canas again in 4th RD in Miami ... Made clay court debut in Monte-Carlo and did not drop a set en route to a repeat final effort (d. Ferrer in QF, Ferrero in SF) before losing to Nadal in straight sets ... In his next clay court showing in Rome, lost in 3rd RD to Volandri and afterwards parted ways with coach Tony Roche ... At Hamburg, defeated Nadal in final for first time on clay (1-6) to break his rival's 81-match winning streak on clay ... Went into Paris and dropped one set en route to final, only to fall in four sets for second straight year to Nadal ... Withdrew from Halle and entered Wimbledon without a grass court pre-tournament for first time in his career ... At All England Club dropped only one set en route to title match before defeating Nadal in five sets to capture his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title and join Borg as only players to win at least five straight crowns in Open Era ... Compiled an undefeated grass court record (6-0) for fifth straight year and owns bigest grass court win streak (54) going into ’08 ... Returned to play in August and made final at AMS Canada (l. to Djokovic) ... Followed with title at AMS Cincinnati (d. Blake), his 50th career championship ... Then became the first player since Tilden in ‘20s to capture four straight US Open titles with straight-sets win over Djokovic ... It was his 12th Grand Slam crown, leaving him two away from all-time record of Sampras ... Posted an outstanding 15-1 mark in Slam tiebreaks during year ... In Davis Cup World Group playoff tie vs. Czech Republic, won both of his singles matches (vs. Stepanek, Berdych) but Switzerland lost 3-2 ... In October, reached final at AMS Madrid (l. to Nalbandian) but repeated title in Basel (d. Nieminen) ... Lost to Nalbandian in 3rd RD at AMS Paris to break streak of eight straight finals reached (going back to May in Hamburg) ... Since 2004, has won 41 of 50 singles finals he has appeared in, losing to Djokovic, Nalbandian twice and Nadal six times.

Roddick Facts:
The top American finished in Top 10 for sixth straight season, won an ATP title for seventh consecutive year and led U.S. to its second Davis Cup final in four years (vs. Russia) ... Only lost twice in 1st RD in 16 events during year and went 5-0 in Cup play as U.S. is looking to win title for first time since 1995 ... In June, captured crown on grass at Queen’s in London (d. Mahut, saved one match point) for fourth time in five years and has won at least one title every year since 2001 ... Followed by reaching QF at Wimbledon (l. to Gasquet in five sets) ... Compiled a 15-4 record during summer hard court circuit with SF in Indianapolis (l. to Dancevic), title in Washington (d. Isner), QF at AMS Canada (l. to Djokovic), 3rd RD at AMS Cincinnati (l. to Ferrer) and QF at US Open (l. to Federer) ... In first three months, compiled a 21-5 record, reaching QF or better in all five events ... Reached SF at Australian Open for third time (l. to Federer) and in San Jose (l. to eventual champion Murray) and runner-up in Memphis (l. to Haas) ... In March, reached SF at AMS Indian Wells with wins over Gasquet and Ljubicic (l. to Nadal) and followed with QF at AMS Miami where he retired (vs. Murray) with a strained left hamstring ... Returned in Davis Cup QF tie and defeated Spain’s Verdasco in straight sets ... On clay, won 1st RD Cup tie in Czech Republic, defeating Minar and Berdych in four sets, and reached 3rd RD at AMS Rome (l. to Chela), QF at Pörtschach (l. to Monfils) and 1st RD at Roland Garros (l. to Andreev) ... Led ATP circuit with personal-best 35-12 record in tie-breaks, including an Open Era record 18 straight from February (Memphis) through early July (Wimbledon) when Gasquet won both tie-breaks in QF ... Ranked among Top 10 in five of six Ricoh ATP MatchFacts serving categories, No. 2 in first serve points won (81%) and service games won (92%), No. 3 in aces (725) and second serve points won (57%), No. 8 in break points saved (66%). (ATP Digital Services)