Former World no.1 Andy Roddick has highlighted just how important he believes a Federer Nadal final in the Australian Open could be.
Roddick, who is in Melbourne to celebrate his induction into this year’s International Tennis Hall Fame, gave his thoughts on the current Australian Open tournament, and reflected on his career.
Roddick on a potential Federer and Nadal final : “If you think about the historical significance of what that match would look like, one at 14 slams, one at 17 slams, Rafa wins it’s 15-17 and the French Open is around the corner, it’s back on. It’s literally game on for the most slams ever. If Rogers wins, it’s 18-14 I don’t know that that divide gets made up.
If that happens, it has to be the most important match in Australian Open history and possibly Grand Slam history.”
Roddick also reflected on his Hall of Fame induction: “I’m incredibly thankful. I knew I was in with a shot, kind of like my playing career, but you didn’t know if you were going to get over that hurdle.
It’s certainly appreciated. I’ve been a fanatic about tennis for so long. Even reading the list of people that would be on court. I can think of a personal story when I was eight or nine, how they affected it. A Christmas present that I was given that related to one of those people somehow. The impact that the Hall of Famers had before me had directly on my life, and by virtue of that kind of trickle-down effect through me to other people around me, is significant in my life.”
Roddick will be inducted as part of the class of 2017 that will also honour Vic Braden and Steve Flink, Monique Kalkman-Van Den Bosch, as well as Kim Clijsters.
