South Africa’s Wesley Moodie would love another crack at world number two Andy Roddick in different match conditions after going out of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old giant matched serves with the fastest server in men’s tennis, but rued crucial unforced errors as he was knocked out 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour 48 minutes in a second round match on the Rod Laver Arena.
The Wimbledon doubles champion served strongly — winning 62% of his first serves — but conceded four service breaks to give the American the winning edge in the battle of the big servers.
”Generally, I was happy with the way I played, except for a few unforced errors, especially on the forehand side,” said the 60th ranked Moodie.
”I thought I neutralised his game pretty well, but I just couldn’t take the opportunities on the short ball on the forehand side and I made just too many unforced errors.”
Particularly galling for 6ft 5in Moodie was the double-fault he stuttered on set point to gift Roddick the opening set.
”It took me a little while to get in the groove on my serve, I was battling a bit with the roof and the sun and when I threw the ball up I just couldn’t really judge it properly.
”But after that I thought I served really well and I really threw my service game away at 5-6 in the first set with that double fault.
”I was struggling a bit in the heat and I suffered a bit on my concentration.”
Moodie’s service was broken again at a crucial time in the second set with an over-hit forehand in the eighth game and he was broken twice in the final set.
He fought off three break points in the seventh game of the third set but Roddick clinched the double-break with a glorious forehand pass cross court.
Moodie had just one break point opportunity in the second set, while Roddick had a total of nine.
”He’s got so many weapons and I thought I neutralised his game fairly well,” Moodie said.
”I felt a lot of the time I was putting him under pressure and if I could have taken more opportunities maybe the result could have been different.
”I look forward to playing him again in different conditions than today’s.”
Moodie was also inconvenienced by tightening quad muscles in the third set.
He will play doubles at the Australian Open with Indian Mahesh Bhupathi and will next play on the ATP Tour at Delray Beach in Florida later this month.
Moodie enjoyed his biggest success last season at Wimbledon, where he and Australian journeyman Stephen Huss became the first duo to win the doubles title as qualifiers. – AFP
