After coming up one match short in Indian Wells a few weeks ago, Andy Roddick proved he is a force to reckon with in Miami, blasting through the draw and losing just 1 set to take the title over Tomas Berdych, 7-5, 6-4. En route to the championship match, things weren't easy for the crowd favorite. A tough match with Rafael Nadal had the American hanging by the skin of his teeth, but in the finals, we knew he wasn't going to falter for a second straight week. The title, won with smart points from the baseline and a continually over-powering serve, is Roddick's fifth Masters 1000 and first since the summer of 2006. The win is his second on the year.
“The last month has been real good for me,” the sixth seed said. “I’ve played well on the big moments. I’ve been able to have a game plan and execute it, regardless of what kind of shots it takes. So it’s all good. It’s all encouraging.”
Along with the $605,500 paycheck comes loads of confidence at the start of the daunting clay-court season, a time when momentum is key. Things look to be headed in the right direction for A-Rod, though, as Larry Stefanki, his coach puts it, “He works as hard or harder than anybody else on this tour. He could be similar to Andre Agassi, where his best years are from 27 on.”
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