Heading into the weekend, the Mercedes-Benz Cup was going to
feature the two biggest tennis draws on American soil, legendary
veteran Andre Agassi and superstar Andy Roddick.
However, the tournament has been given a face-lift as the fan
favorite Roddick, who entered the week as the No. 3 player in the
world, was a late scratch from the event as he withdrew due to
soreness in his right knee.
Roddick’s decision to bypass the Mercedes-Benz Cup was
made to give his injury sufficient time to heal and came shortly
after his loss to 2004 Mercedes-Benz Cup finalist Nicolas Kiefer in
Indianapolis on Friday night.
“I am deeply disappointed I will be unable to compete in
the Mercedes-Benz Cup due to soreness in my right knee,”
Roddick said in a statement. “After consulting with my coach
and trainer, we feel that it is critical that I have some recovery
time. I have always been fortunate to have great support from
Southern California over the last few years, and I look forward to
playing there in the near future.”
Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and a two-time Wimbledon
finalist, has played twice at the Mercedes-Benz Cup, reaching the
semifinals in 2002.
Roddick’s exit from the tournament has now left Agassi, a
three-time Mercedes-Benz champion and eight-time Grand Slam king,
as the No. 1 seed at the Mercedes-Benz Cup. The other players
seeded below Agassi are Dominik Hrbaty, Kiefer, defending Grand
Slam king, as the No. 1 seed at the Mercedes-Benz Cup. The other
players seeded below Agassi are Dominik Hrbaty, Kiefer, defending
champion Tommy Haas, Taylor Dent, Mario Ancic, Sebastien Grosjean
and Greg Rusedski.
But the presence of those players can’t measure up to the
effect Roddick would have had on the tournament.
“It’s very disappointing to lose the presence and
exposure that Andy brings to American tennis,” said Bob
Kramer, Mercedes-Benz Cup director. “We were really looking
forward to having him anchor the event with Andre Agassi. Now much
more of the weight will fall on Andre.”
An intriguing storyline to follow will be if Roddick’s
exit affects attendance, as hundreds of fans who bought tickets to
watch the player are now left with disappointment.
“I’m a little upset that Roddick isn’t
playing, mainly because he’s such a dynamic player,”
said David Chiba, a second-year chemical engineering student.
“Without him here, the matches won’t be as
compelling.”
The event now will look much different than it might have less
than two months ago, when it appeared that Agassi, Roddick and
Australian Lleyton Hewitt ““ some of tennis’ top draws
in international competition ““ would make the trek to
Westwood. Hewitt, however, decided against competing this week due
to a change in his personal schedule after pushing up his wedding
plans.
And now that Roddick has been forced out with a knee injury, the
tournament is more wide open, increasing the chance for a newcomer
to come along and make a name for himself.
“One of the silver linings to Andy’s exit is that
some other very talented players will have a chance to really make
a run and capture a fan base,” Kramer said. “We still
have 25 of the top 75 players in the world, and the fans will now
have a great opportunity to really become familiar with
them.”
The exposure high-profile players like Agassi and Roddick bring
to American tennis also has a tendency to cast a large shadow,
something players here are ready to free themselves from.
“There’s no question that Andy is great for the game
of tennis, with all the excitement he brings,” said James
Blake, a wildcard entry in the cup. “But his absence means
that other guys are going to try and step up to make a name for
themselves.”