Another Shotmaker upsets Roddick - 3/16/2011

Date: 3/16/2011
Result: Indian Wells R4, Richard Gasquet def. Andy Roddick 6-3 7-6
Why it matters:
- Roddick is extremely passive as a player now.  That's been a running theme that commentators have been harping on for the last year, since he decided to not be passive against Nadal in Miami and turned the match around for a win.  There's nothing to verify my claim, but I've been saying this for YEARS.  The Roddick that won the US Open under Brad Gilbert is not the Roddick we've seen for the last 6-7 years.  And it's obvious because he lets flashier shotmakers take their shots against him, and ultimately pays the price too often when these opponents are on.  Think about some of his "surprise" losses in bigger events:  Wawrinka, Tipsarevic, Gabashvili, Monfils, Kohlschreiber, Baghdatis and Gasquet here (and previously).  They all can hit some amazing winners out of nowhere, and Roddick lets them.  Of course his strategy will work often enough, maybe more often than not, but why let the match be in his opponents hands if he could dictate start to finish?
- Gasquet needs matches like this. His ranking isn't terrible at 21, but his results don't seem like the results of a #21.  A deep run here keeps Gasquet relevant, especially on a slower hardcourt that might not seem tailored to his game.  If he can gain confidence over the next few weeks, maybe he can excel on the clay, where he should have been excelling for the last few years, and peak during the grass season.
Honorable Mentions:
- Indian Wells R4, Novak Djokovic def. Viktor Troicki - 60 61 - Djokovic is on fire this year.  Not only has he not lost, but he's barely lost sets (or games for that matter).  Back to back 0 and 1 results just highlight how well he's playing.  Everyone thinks the Davis Cup is the catalyst for his improved play, and while I think it's helped, I think the more important factor is that he stopped worrying about his image.  The backlash against his family's antics during matches to the Roddick v. Djokovic war of words at the '08 US Open to the unfavorable view many players had about his impressions put a damper on Novak's spirit.  The last several months he's seemed happier in general, and that's made a big difference in his results.

- Indian Wells R4, Ivo Karlovic def. Albert Montanes - 76 62 - Karlovic's ranking plummetted due to injury, and honestly the many weaknesses in his game.  I think he's inspired now to make a big run before his body breaks down again, and his wins in Indian Wells, including this one, show he's learned how to break serve more often.  He's been denied a Wild Card into Miami qualifying, which is a bit harsh in my opinion, but I guess given his result in Indian Wells, the rest of the players a breathing a sigh of relief.