Matthew Cronin: Day 9 Picks

2-ANDY RODDICK (USA) VS. 18-TOMMY ROBREDO (ESP)

The question here isn’t whether Andy Roddick will win; it’s whether he will drop a set. Roddick is 6-0 lifetime against old junior foe Tommy Robredo, beating him on four different surfaces. He’s won all 15 sets they”ve played, mostly because he’s a little better in every department. Robredo can’t do anything with Roddick’s bullet serve, has a weaker forehand and, up until this year, hasn’t served well enough himself to keep Andy from pouncing.

That doesn’t mean that Robredo isn’t a big-time talent because he is. He’s quite lethal off the ground and is hell to play in rallies, but he’s been a little slow to develop as a pro. He’s going to have to come on court with an entirely new attitude against Andy and show the American that he does believe he can pull off an upset. But Robredo really doesn’t, which is why Roddick will enter the quarterfinals without having been pushed by anyone. It’s going to take a monumental effort for anyone (Federer included) to steal the US Open trophy from him.