Roddick Makes Early Exit at French Open

Some athletes have the worst luck. No matter how good they are overall, they can be spooked by a certain competition, foe or locale.

American Andy Roddick may be one such athlete who can’t seem to find his rhythm at the French Open, which began over the weekend. For the second consecutive year and the fourth time in his career, Roddick was eliminated in the first round at Roland Garros, courtesy of Igor Andreev, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Roddick is ranked third in the world while Andreev is number 125. According to the New York Times, the match was highlighted by Roddick’s temper tantrum, in which he shook his fist, bounced his racket off the red clay court, and shouted to the rain-soaked clouds above him “Andy, just give yourself a chance on some of these points!”

Roland Garros is also a bit of a mystery for the world’s number one, Roger Federer, who has yet to win the French Open. It is the only Grand Slam title that the Swiss champion has yet to win. That could change this year, but it will mean getting past two-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal of Spain, who excels on the clay court. Federer finally beat Nadal on clay during the Hamburg Masters 10 days ago

Welcome Back, Serena

It was a welcome sight to see Serena Williams at the top of her game during the Australian Open last weekend. After her brilliant victory over Maria Sharapova (6-1, 6-2) to win the title, Williams vaulted 67 places in the WTA rankings to 14. She entered the tournament ranked 81 and unseeded -- unfamiliar territory for Williams. Her defeat of Sharapova left no doubt that she had returned to her old form. It was encouraging to see in light of the fact that American women have largely been absent from the top of the standing for the past year because of injury. The victory also dispelled much of the criticism Williams received about being overweight and out of shape. Hopefully this is the shot in the arm that the American women need to regain their world dominance.

American Men Improve; Federer Still the Best

On the men’s side, Andy Roddick played superbly, showing how much he has improved his game and his mental attitude since working with his new coach Jimmy Connors. That is, until he met Roger Federer. Their showdown in the semifinals was supposed to show just how much Roddick had closed the gap between the two of them. However, Federer, who has been at the top of his game for the last three seasons, sliced up Roddick with amazing precision and eliminated the top American men’s player. Federer went on to win the Australian Open, his 10th Grand Slam title. He was the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win a tournament without losing a single set. It makes you wonder if anyone can beat this guy.