Andy Roddick isn’t the shining star he once was, heading into the 2012 Australian Open. He fell from a No. 8 world ranking one year ago to No. 16 this year, and at 29 years old his window to win his first Grand Slam tournament since the 2003 U.S. Open is gradually shrinking. Without the benefit of a high seed, Roddick’s path to the finals becomes much more difficult as well, starting with his opening round matchup against Robin Haase.
Australian Open 2012: Andy Roddick Faces Tough Opening Round Rematch With Robin Haase
The 24-year-old Dutchman is ranked just No. 52 in the world at the moment, but would certainly elevate his status with a win over a big name opponent like Roddick. The two faced each other in the third round of last year’s Australian Open. Roddick dropped the first set, but won the second in a tie breaker before take the last two and the match.
Should Roddick move on, he could potentially face Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in the second round. Should he make it all the way to the finals, he will also have the task of taking out Novak Djokovic from his side of the bracket.
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