Tennis US Open: Former champion Andy Roddick's first-round defeat by Gilles Muller ranked as one of the biggest shocks in recent US Open history. More worryingly for Roddick, though, was that his limitations as a player were again exposed.
Just eight weeks after Roger Federer dismantled the American's game in spectacular style in the Wimbledon final, Roddick came unstuck against a little-known player from Luxembourg making his Flushing Meadows debut.
Fourth seed Roddick arrived in New York believing he was capable of repeating his 2003 triumph after reaching the Cincinnati Masters final last month. Losing to world number one Federer, who has won nine titles in 2005, is one thing. Losing to the 68th-ranked Muller, 7-6 7-6 7-6 on his home court, is not as easy to comprehend.
Roddick admitted his returns and backhand were not in the same league as Federer, French Open champion Rafael Nadal or Australian Lleyton Hewitt.
"They return better than I do," he said. "You're right on as far as that one. Backhands, I didn't hit it well. You're absolutely correct."
The American denied, however, that he lagged behind the other top players when it came to winning the big points.
"I don't see that," he said. "I've been up there in the top whatever for a couple years now, if you watched last week and if you watched Wimbledon.
"I think that was the case maybe earlier in the year. I felt like I was having trouble doing that. But the last couple months, I've kind of been back to normal."
In Cincinnati, Roddick showed more variety than of late, serving and volleying and slicing his backhand to break up the rhythm.Against Muller, the slice was absent, while the serve and volley looked more borne out of desperation than of a grand plan.
Despite the defeat, the American said he felt he was a better player now than in 2003. "I feel like I've put more work in mentally and physically, every which way," he said.
"I've never cared so much as I care now, which makes it tough. Last year I didn't work hard. I didn't even step up.
"Somehow I was sneaking out big points. This year I just killed it as far as working hard, doing all the right things. I turned around. We're talking about this as a big disappointment. It's tough for me to have a lot of perspective right now."
In contrast, third seed Lleyton Hewitt was relieved to launch his US Open title bid with a brisk 6-1 6-2 6-1 victory in windy conditions yesterday against Spain's Albert Costa.
"They were extremely tough conditions so it was one match that you just wanted to get under your belt and get into the tournament and get back into the locker room as quickly as possible," said the Australian after his 80-minute win against 2002 French Open champion Costa.
"There's no doubt I got respect for the guy, winner of the French Open, winner of any slam. In this day and age, they can play on any surface. You know it's going to be tough. He's a guy who never gives it away easily either. He's a workhorse out there.
"In a lot of ways, it could have been a tough and awkward match-up for me. I think I just handled the situation so much better and the conditions out there than he did today."
Hewitt's victory condemned claycourt specialist Costa to his seventh first-round defeat in seven trips to Flushing Meadows.
The 24-year-old Hewitt, the 2001 US Open champion and last year's runner-up to Roger Federer, said having a number of claycourt players in his draw was not necessarily a big advantage on the hard courts.
"As you saw last night, everyone was counting Andy to the semis and finals," he said.
"There's no easy draw in this day and age. I think a lot of the claycourters can play exceptionally well on this surface nowadays."
