Posted on 09/05/2012 5:47:35 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
New York – Chants of "Let's go, Andy!" rang out between points during the last service game of his career, and again before the start of what would wind up as the last return game.
Always a fan favorite at the U.S. Open, and the 2003 champion, Andy Roddick headed into retirement with a 6-7 (1), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4 loss to Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.
It was an emotional farewell for Roddick, who sat in his changeover chair, covering his face with a white towel, after sailing a running forehand long on the last point. He choked up during an on-court speech at Arthur Ashe Stadium, telling the crowd, "Oh, wow. For the first time in my career, I'm not sure what to say."
"Since I was a kid, I've been coming to this tournament. I felt lucky just to sit where all of you are sitting today, to watch this game, to see the champions that have come and gone," Roddick told the fans. "I've loved every minute of it."
The American surprisingly announced last Thursday, his 30th birthday, that the U.S. Open would be his final tournament. That impromptu news conference came a day before Roddick's second-round match, and he wound up winning that one, and a third-rounder, too, riding a wave of support in the stands.
But those two opponents were ranked 43rd and 59th, and the seventh-seeded del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, provided a far more daunting challenge — especially once he lifted his energy level and got his big, flat forehand cranked up.
(Excerpt) Read more at latino.foxnews.com ...
Tennis killed itself.
There are no personalities on either the men’s or women’s circuit.
I know Roddick is retiring, but my reaction is: who cares?
The last time I really cared about Tennis was when Jimmy Connors made his great run in the 1991 US Open.
rodderick was always an 80%er
That’s a shame. Tennis? What is that?
He & Chrissy, those were the glory years!
Good luck to Andy in the future. As a tennis player, I always felt like he never could quite get to the elite level. I haven’t been invested in tennis since Pete Sampras retired, although I do like watching Novak play whenever he’s on.
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