Wimbledon - men's singles previewFor the last two years in the men's game, American eyes have turned to Andy Roddick as the heir apparent to Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. While the 20 year old has, so far, been reluctant to shoulder that burden, there are indications this year that he has has matured enough to credibly step up to the plate.

Last weekend, before winning the tournament at Queen's in London, Roddick faced Agassi in the semi-final. He had played the eight times Grand Slam champion, a player he has openly admired, five times before and lost.

Despite the 13-year gap between the two players, it was Roddick who buried his hero in a match characterised by frightening serves and forehands from the youngster from Omaha. Over three sets Roddick hit 29 aces past the best return of serve in the world. Goran Ivanisevic occasionally reaches that statistic over five sets. In one period of the second set Roddick delivered 12 aces in three service games.

But despite Roddick's dramatic style of tennis and his willingness to hit almost everything flat out, fractures continue to appear in his temperament and while he defeated Agassi in three sets, the questions he will have to answer over five sets at Wimbledon are likely to increase the mental pressure.

How he will handle a rain-delayed match strung out over 48 hours and played over three or four sessions may greatly affect a player who needs rhythm and fluency to get the best out of his powerful arms.

Coached now by Brad Gilbert, Agassi's old coach, Roddick will receive tactical savvy and informed analysis of his opponents. But his ability to visibly self-destruct when things begin to go against him continues to be an alarming weakness.

While Agassi remains at number one, the regime change is not nearly complete and with a raft of claycourt players declaring their commitment to the grass this year, Wimbledon over the next two weeks may take on a different complexion. With the balls heavier and the grass grown to take a little sting out of the bigger servers, the subtle but significant changes could see names more associated with clay emerging and surviving into the second week.

Already there have been complaints and Boris Becker, a winner of Wimbledon at 17, has been at the forefront.

"About 10 years ago - with Goran (Ivanisevic) and Richard (Krajicek) and me serving - that was too fast. Now with the balls, it is far too slow in my opinion," said Becker. "I was practising with them this morning and my arm is still hurting."

Despite the heavier balls, players such as Roddick are hitting it harder. But as Becker points out, this is because they serve and stay at the back of the court ready to engage in a baseline rally. When the serve-volley player serves, he moves forward into the ball to get close to the net for a volley on the return and some of the power is lost in the movement. The Roddicks of this world snap their wrists and honestly don't expect to see it coming back if they put their first serve in the box. If it does return they are content to trade blows from outside the baseline.

"We are seeing too many pattern players and that's boring," complained former player John Lloyd. His criticism may be well received but the general view is that something had to be done about the character of two and three-stroke rallies.

An out-of-form Lleyton Hewitt will arrive hoping that the change will suit his aggressive game, which relies on fierce ground strokes and contests of attrition, while French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, a wonderful athlete around the court, will visualise hot-baked courts with the ball bouncing high. Some hope.

Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, a back-to-back French Open champion, but out of sorts early this season following an operation, showed signs of coming back to form at this year's Roland Garros event.

But again the traditional grass is not his surface and he will be another player anticipating an easier time with the changes.

Again, warm weather will help him.

While Sebastien Grosjean went all the way to the final of the Queen's tournament, beating Britain's Tim Henman 6-3, 6-6 during his passage, there are a number of other European players with ability enough to advance. Xavier Malisse, last year's semi-finalist as well as winner in Halle last week, Roger Federer, have proven track records here.

But if Roddick can do what he did last week and hit 90 per cent of his first serves at 140 m.p.h. there is little difference any ball change or any player can make to stop his assault from being successful. As Roddick put it after the match against Agassi: "I went out there today to get the ball past the greatest returner in the game."

Agassi, still a better bet over five sets if the two players meet, was typically tactical about the Roddick phenomenon. "The nature of the game is that you've got to go figure out a way to overcome him. I don't complain. I just do my best to handle it." If only Roddick possessed that attitude . . . if only.