The key to overcoming Roddick

WIMBLEDON
Date: 22 June - 5 July
Coverage: BBC One, BBC Two, BBC HD, Red Button, website streaming (UK only) and text commentary, 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC iPlayer
Tennis on the BBC

Finding an answer to Andy Roddick's big serve supposedly holds the key to Andy Murray's hopes of reaching this year's Wimbledon final.

But victory might not be as simple as that for the British number one, even if he does manage to tame the powerful American.

Friday's semi-final has been billed as a battle between brawn and brains, but their Centre Court clash is not just a meeting of ace-machine and master returner.

True, Roddick's run to the last four has seen him fire down 139 aces, second only to Ivo Karlovic on 160, and he has also hit the joint-fastest serve of the Championships with a delivery of 141 miles per hour.

And Murray is undoubtedly well-placed to cope, having earned 120 points from his opponents' first serves this fortnight - more than any other player.

606: DEBATE
Can Murray win the title?

But it is possible they could cancel each other out, meaning their respective weaknesses, not strengths, will decide who goes through to face either Roger Federer or Tommy Haas in Sunday's final.

Despite a huge improvement in his fitness and all-round game since he brought in Larry Stefanki as his coach at the end of 2008, doubts remain over the reliability of Roddick's groundstrokes.

If the sixth seed struggles with what is likely to be constant probing from Murray, it could prove decisive for the Scot.

Equally, although it would be wrong to suggest Murray's second serve appears vulnerable, it is definitely slow enough to invite an attack - something that could play into Roddick's hands.

BBC 5 Live's tennis pundit Jeff Tarango says the outcome could depend on how aggressive Roddick is with his returns and feels he must take a chance by going for a winner whenever he can.

The American former world number 42 said: "I see it coming down to four shots; each player's first and second serves.

"With the first serve, you have to give Roddick the tilt. Then again, Murray could have the more successful winning percentage because Roddick's returning isn't as good as Murray's. That will be the number one key factor, and it will be close.

"The second factor is the second serve return. You have to remember that Andy Roddick's second serves are around 120mph - Andy Murray's second serve right now is between 75 and 90mph.

"But we don't know if Roddick is going to be too nervous to go after the second serve on a regular occasion, or just see that thing as a big beach-ball and crush it.

"If Roddick completely crushes every second serve he sees - and he is capable of it - then Murray is in a lot of trouble. If he doesn't attack, or get the chance to, Murray has a huge advantage and can win easily."

The pair are friends off the court and occasionally practise together on it.

At Queen's this year, Roddick ended up on the losing end of one of Murray's famous forfeits when he had to wear a pink sequinned baseball cap out to dinner.

They also share a love of Twitter, the social networking website, and frequently post to their fans.

Here it is Murray who holds the advantage, having almost 56,000 followers - around 10,000 more than his rival.

The Scot, who is hoping to become the first Briton since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the men's title, has had the better of their previous meetings too.

He has won six of their eight competitive encounters and triumphed on two out of the three occasions they have played on grass, including at Wimbledon in 2006.

They last clashed in Doha in January, when Murray easily came out on top 6-4 6-2.

The memory of that defeat led Stefanki to suggest on Wednesday that Roddick could try less aggressive tactics this time in a bid to upset the Scot's rhythm.

Tarango, however, feels Roddick must ignore that advice if he is to have any chance.

"I think that would be absolutely terrible coaching," added Tarango. "If Roddick plays less aggressively against Murray, Murray will work him round the court, keep him on the run and wear him out - then he won't be serving as well.

"If his coach told him that, that might have just cost him the championships."

Even if he loses on Friday, Roddick, who lost two Wimbledon finals to Roger Federer in 2004 and 2005, has enjoyed his best run of results in Grand Slams since he topped the world rankings in 2003.

After following Stefanki's advice and losing weight, a more mobile Roddick reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, went further than he had ever done before in Paris by reaching the French Open fourth round and is in the last four at the All England Club for the first time since 2005.

Tarango believes Roddick is now a better overall player than he was when he was world number one and was particularly impressed with the way he came through his marathon five-set quarter-final win over Lleyton Hewitt on Wednesday.

"Murray is also a little bit better at adapting his game. Roddick is kind of a cookie-cutter player - every single point, he's playing the same"

"I saw something in the Hewitt match that I have been speaking about to Andy's brother John this week," the American added.

"He started hitting his backhand better than he's ever hit it in his life. He was turning his hip a lot, poking that shoulder down and walloping it - and that's really what pulled that match out for him.

"If he is able to keep that shot up against Murray then he has got a fantastic chance."

But Murray's form this year makes the world number three the favourite to progress and Tarango still believes he holds the edge.

"Roddick has the best first serve in the world but Murray serves a little bit smarter," he explained.

"He's also a little bit better in terms of scraping balls out, grinding points out and adapting his game. Andy Roddick is kind of a cookie-cutter player - every single point, he's playing the same.

"It's very difficult to predict how this one will go but I think Murray will edge it in four sets."

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Latest tennis talk on 606
Tennis on the BBC
Tennis tips and tricks
Wimbledon
Wimbledon weather
How the roof works (Wimbledon official site)
LTA
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites