Roddick goes into U.S. Open as outside chance
NEW YORK (Reuters) - From the moment he won his first and, to date, only grand-slam title at the U.S. Open in 2003, Andy Roddick has had to cope with the huge expectations of the home nation at Flushing Meadows.
While double champion Andre Agassi had one last hurrah when he reached the final in 2005, Roddick has been the one American ever-present over the past five years.
Four times a quarter-finalist, he reached the final in 2006, losing to Roger Federer, the man who has won the title every year since Roddick beat Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero to lift the trophy in 2003.
Having flown the flag for so long, Roddick goes into next week's U.S. Open short of match practice after a number of injuries and is an outsider for the title.
Roddick, though, remains confident that he can go far in the year's final grand-slam event.
"It's a while since I have been (under the radar), maybe '01 or '02," the world number eight told Reuters in an interview.
"But I am not someone who needs someone talking about them. I am more concerned with how I am playing. I realise there are better storylines this summer, (Roger) Federer (losing his number one ranking), (Rafael) Nadal, (Novak) Djokovic playing well on hard courts and Andy Murray playing well, so I don't need that.
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