Roddick Vs. Kiefer Match Preview

Nicolas Kiefer has the opportunity to reach a career-best fifth final tonight, but one obstacle stands in his way: Andy Roddick.

This will be the second time in less than a week the two will meet on a grand stage. Just last Sunday, the duo met in the finals of the RCA Championships in Indianapolis, where Roddick defended his title successfully, taking Kiefer out in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.

Head to head, Roddick leads 2-0, with their only previous meeting besides Indy coming at another TMS event, the 2003 TMS Cincinnati, where Roddick was again victorious in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in the second round.

Both players have done very well this year and have had a tremendous week in Toronto.

Kiefer upset two former world No. 1s, Marat Safin and Carlos Moya, before steamrolling over Jurgen Melzer last night 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, and appears to be briming with well-deserved confidence, showing shades of the player he was in 1999, his best year on the Tour.

When asked about the prospect of meeting Roddick for the second time in only seven days, Kiefer said that he was looking forward to the challenge. He is aware that Roddick comes in as the favorite and believes that he did not play “[his] game” in the Indy final and therefore has a good chance to upset yet another former No. 1 player.

The key to defeating such players, particularly ones that you have lost to previously, Kiefer says, is to play them again and again. Well, he will certainly get his wish tonight, in the second semifinal match of the tournament.

Roddick has been less challenged coming into his third consecutive TMS Canada semifinal. He defeated a qualifier in the first round before taking out Feliciano Lopez and Juan Ignacio Chela and lucky loser Jan Hernych.

However, Roddick stated in a press conference last night that with the depth of men’s tennis being so great today, you cannot take any opponent for granted.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s the depth of the men’s tennis, I think I talked about it the other day, it’s pretty thick right now. You have guys, you know, you have a lucky loser still in it in the semis. This is a guy who lost in the qualifying tournament is now in the semis of the big show. So it’s, I mean, that is an example in itself. And we had another lucky loser who was still playing last night, Saulnier. So, you know, they lost in the qualifying tournament but then made significant progress in the real deal, so that is enough evidence in itself.”

“You take every match seriously. I mean, people are too good out here, we were just talking about the depth of mens tennis. I mean, people are too good to over look anything. I think you have to walk into every match, you know, thinking that there is a serious chance that you might lose.”