Roddick Primed for ... Another Letdown?

So here we are again, counting on Andy Roddick. And here we are again, with things looking awfully good. Roddick is playing well, maybe his best ever. He is in shape, maybe his fittest ever. And the Wimbledon draw has opened up for him like no one could have hoped for.

No one benefited more than Roddick from Rafael Nadal dropping out with knee tendinitis. Things are shaping up for something big from Roddick, and for American tennis.

Can you trust him?

Here we are again: He carries American men's tennis hopes all alone.

"Not any more than I have for the rest of my career," he said, laughing. "I mean, it's not exactly a new position for me. You know, obviously you'd like it to be different, but that's not the way it is.

"This ain't Candy Land. We can't really make fantasy worlds up. You just kind of deal with it and move on."

Roddick beat Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 Thursday to advance to the third round. Next, he'll play Jurgen Melzer, who he has beaten eight times in a row. From there, probably Lleyton Hewitt, who upset Juan Martin del Potro on Thursday, opening up the draw for Roddick even more.

Fact is, Roddick is heading straight for the semis against Andy Murray, the Great Brit Hope. And think of the pressure Murray will have in that match: Already people are packed on Henman Hill, now called Mount Murray, waiting for history.

Roddick has a real shot at a Wimbledon final here, and with a 140-mph serve on the slick grass, you can't count him out of any one match, and... Hold on a minute. What am I saying?

Here I am again, falling for Andy Roddick. You can't see a roadblock for him, but he always finds one.

But you can look at him now and see what a moment he already is having.

Against Kunitsyn, he toned down the power, figuring that Kunitsyn couldn't generate his own power.

Strategy? Roddick used strategy?

And he is so relaxed. He has started posting on Twitter, and the talk has been about that, and not so much about the pressures of tennis.

So, can you talk us through Rick Astley here?

Someone asked him that after the match. Roddick has been having a fun feud with his wife Brooklyn Decker through tweets. He tweeted that he was considering banning Decker's iPod from the kitchen: "Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, I feel like it's a 24 hour loop of the Disney Channel.''

She tweeted back: "One of his favorites is Rick Astley (enough said).

He knows a few NSync dances, and he LOVES Kelly Clarkson. I promise he is far worse."

Astley is a retired singer, who has made a comeback. He's known for the song "Never Gonna Give You Up," and for being the voice behind the whole "Rickrolling" phenomenon.

And yes, if Roddick likes him, that's embarrassing.


"What do you want me to say?" Roddick said after the match. "I said I wasn't proud, but I'm not going to lie to anybody... 'I can't deny it. It's in my iPod. I bet it's in your iPod, too, so shut up."

You can get arrested in this country for having Rick Astley on your iPod, someone said.

"You can get arrested in my country for lying under oath, so..."

See? Roddick is relaxed and enjoying himself.

He's just 26, but has already been the face of American tennis for so long. The official torch-passing was supposed to come at the 2002 U.S. Open quarterfinals against Pete Sampras, who was already losing it.

Then, Sampras drilled him, as Roddick was unable to change his strategy.

Or find one. Roddick won the Open the next year, and it was the only major he has won. He also reached two Wimbledon finals, losing to Roger Federer, in 2004 and 2005. Since then, he has stayed consistently in the top 10, but hasn't won a big one.

So the whole way, he has been the American star, but is never quite as good as...

Fill in the blank.

How did it come about, this passion for Rick Astley?

"OK, calm down," Roddick said. "Just calm down."

Here we are again, thinking Roddick is finally going to be what he can be. And maybe that's unfair. Roddick has worked hard, listened to coaches, tried to improve. Maybe he is making the most of himself.

Under new coach Larry Stefanki, he has lost 15 pounds. And he has finally developed a pro-level backhand, though not a great one. And he has the great serve.

It all adds up. Again.

But look at the French Open last month. He got to the second week there for the first time, and then lost to Gael Monfils. It was getting dark during the match, and Roddick embarrassed himself, complaining to and berating the chair umpire and a tournament official throughout, even between points, that it was too dark to play.

Once again, he had found the roadblock, and it was between his ears.

Does it help listening to Rick Astley?

"I didn't hear that."

So here he is again, relaxed and ready, the face of American tennis.

Roddick mentioned some of the other, younger American players, saying his door is always open to them for advice.

He talked about the NBA Draft, and Twitter. He talked about restaurants he likes in London.

Any other favorite spots in London that you like?

"Wherever Rick Astley is going."

Do you believe?

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