A Pumped Roddick Set to Meet Djokovic in the Quarters

No. 1 Rafael Nadal, No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Novak Djokovic, the 2007 US Open finalist who Andy Roddick will face in the quarterfinals on Thursday night, all had huge struggles in their fourth-round matches.

But Roddick had an easy time in his fourth-round match, where he blew out Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets. The American appears to have rediscovered the form that led him to the Dubai title in March, where he knocked out both Nadal and Djokovic, and to his first win over Federer in nearly five years in Miami.

Injuries to his neck and shoulder set him back in the late spring and early summer, but despite a mediocre US Open Series, Roddick is looking all the part of an outside threat to win the title. Firing blinding serves and taking advantage of nearly every short ball, Roddick only dropped nine points on serve in his 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 wipeout of Gonzalez.

He looked much more comfortable and lethal on court than the chronically limping Djokovic, who had to go the wall and over it to defeat Tommy Robredo, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

But that does not mean that the Serbian will not recover in two days' time, as he has spent much of his Grand Slam year digging out long wins. Such is his style and perhaps that's the way he's mentally the most comfortable: physically put upon and thereby emotionally empty, yet fresher. Even though he didn't look like a No. 1-to-be in his marathon wins of Marin Cilic and Robredo, he was lethal in the clutch, and as steady as a Coast Guard boat in rough waves.

Robredo accused Djokovic of overplaying his injuries, which included an injured hip and ankle. Roddick has his doubts, too.

"Back and a hip?" asked Roddick. "And a cramp. Bird flu. Anthrax. SARS. Common cough and cold?

But the top American wouldn't say that the Serbian is faking.

“If it's there, it's there,” Roddick said. “There's just a lot. You know, he's either quick to call a trainer or he's the most courageous guy of all time.”

The 21-year-old Djokovic is nothing if not resourceful. He's also is master return of server, not because he puts so much heat on the ball, but because he can slap back nearly every kind of serve deep. He's extremely accurate off both wings from the baseline and can rip winners when called upon. Roddick knows that in order to grab the win, he's going to have to serve just as big as he did against Gonzalez, keep his approach shots deep and close quickly at net.

"He goes to work pretty much every point, and, my service game, he's going to put returns in, he puts guys in pressure," Roddick said. “It seems like a lot of times there'd be breaks back and forth with him. You know going in that you're going to have to go to work.”

Roddick and Djokovic have faced each other twice, a victory for the Serbian last year in Canada and a win for Roddick this year in Dubai. The American has to try as much as possible to keep the points shorts, as Djokovic is sure to try to exhaust him from the backcourt and entice him into zany net rushes.

“Couple of points, I probably played more aggressively in Dubai than I did in Canada,” Roddick said. “He kind of took it to me in the breakers in Canada, and might have been the other way around in Dubai. It's going to be close, because I think it's a pretty good match-up, and he returns pretty well. I serve pretty well. It will come down to momentum one way or the other.”

Djokovic says that he should be fresh by the time the first ball is tossed on Thursday night. He's a pretty good-natured guy who has respect for his foe. On Arthur Ashe Kid's Day, the two traded hilarious impersonations of the other.

“Roddick, he's former US Open champion, couple times Grand Slam finalist and No. 1," Djokovic said. "So he has all the things under his belt that he needs to have. He's playing in front of his crowd, on his favorite tournament. It's always a difficult one to play against Roddick wherever, but especially here."

Somewhat surprisingly, despite some tremendous runs in New York including his 2003 title sprint, Roddick said that the reigning Australian Open titlist is the favorite. He said it with a wry smile, but stuck to his point.