Andy Roddick won the Cincinnati Open two times during his sparkling career, which would have been far more successful were it not for a certain trio who dominated constantly throughout his playing days.
Widely regarded as one of the best outside of the Big Three during the generation, who inarguably suffered more than most due to their legendary excellence, his transition into an insightful pundit post-retirement has been well-received by tennis fans.
After all, he offers an outlook on the sport that the everyday fan never gets to see, hence why he is so revered.
Using that knowledge, he has now predicted why Jessica Pegula and Carlos Alcaraz are the two most likely to enjoy the conditions at the Cincinnati Open this year.
Andy Roddick previews the Cincinnati Open
Chatting on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the American was unsurprisingly full of praise for his compatriot, with Pegula successfully defending her Canadian Open title against Amanda Anisimova.
However, given no time to revel in her success, the Cincinnati Open starts up almost immediately. Fortunately for her, Roddick fancies her chances, noting: ’Props to her. I have good news for her. The courts in Cinci, played a little deal there on Saturday with Andre, Tommy Paul and Isner, and those things [the courts] are fast. Not a lot of grip.
‘When you first get on a court and you kind of rub your toes, the less drag the quicker it is. If it feels like sandpaper, it’s going to be a little slow, it’s going to chew the ball up. This thing, like darts. We were a set in and the balls were getting smaller, they weren’t fluffing up.’
He then went on to note an ATP star who will also benefit from these conditions: ’You were expecting a scorcher out there but this week looks kind of mellow, which is good news for the Chuckster!
‘The only thing that is a massive stress test for him is his ability to play in super hot and super swampy conditions, we have seen him cramp over the last couple of years, only when it is extreme heat. There was one in Miami, Cinci last year against Novak, we remember his body locking up in Roland Garros.
‘He is going to like this, I think the Chuckster would prefer to play in some 70 or 80-degree days before it gets to 97, so that’s good for him.’
Carlos Alcaraz and Jessica Pegula have to be favourites in Cincinnati
When combing through the options for potential favourites for this event, it’s hard to look past the two who Andy Roddick points out.
After all, Alcaraz is coming off the back of a remarkable summer where he won Roland Garros and Wimbledon before losing in the Olympics final.
He came so close to glory, and will want to avenge his failure in Paris with a win here.
The Spaniard lost in the final of this event last year, and with Novak Djokovic having pulled out of Cincinnati, the field is wide open.
Meanwhile, with the women’s side, it is much harder to predict.
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff have all been prone to shock defeats recently, and with Pegula having won in Toronto, she is in the best form heading into the event.
If the conditions do favour her, and she can continue her good form, it might be a back-to-back Masters 1000 triumph for the American.
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