Federer out of Roddick’s reach
Federer out of Roddick’s reach 
Former Australian Captain December 31, 2007
ASKED 10 years ago what his career ambitions were, Andy Roddick optimistically rattled off a familiar hit list.
The American wanted to reach world No.1. Done. He wanted to win a grand slam title. Done. And he wanted to savour Davis Cup glory. Done.
At 25, Roddick has achieved each of his goals. But, in hindsight, he might have added another: “To beat Roger Federer as often as I lose to him.”
After 16 matches in six years, Roddick trails the Swiss wizard 15-1.
Roddick limped out of Melbourne Park in January this year after enduring a shattering 6-4 6-0 6-2 Australian Open flogging from Federer.
“It was frustrating. It was miserable. It sucked. It was terrible. Besides that, it was fine,” Roddick joked at the time, trying to find light where there was none.
He vowed to improve - and did so by pushing Federer in a tight 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 US Open quarter-final.
The gap, finally, seemed to be closing.
But, by November at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, Roddick had again been demoralised by Federer’s lethal blend of surgical skill and disorientating variety. Nothing, after all, had changed. The gap was as wide as ever.
The most dominant player in China in the season-ending event, Roddick rode into a 6-4 6-2 Federer ambush that left the Texan scrambling forlornly for solutions.
“You know, credit to Roger for putting me in tough situations,” Roddick said. “It’s tough against him. But I can honestly go home and say I haven’t left anything on the table as far as work.”
