Roddick makes another early exit

This is my first blog so I'm going to start off with my first sport: tennis.

American favorites struggled and bowed out in the first round of the French Open, again.

It's official, Andy Roddick is not the one to carry on the torch of American tennis left behind by Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. Roddick played an uninspired match and often looked confused on the court. His serve fell apart and his forehand was overshadowed by winner after winner from opponent Igor Andreev.

I've never been so sure that Andy Roddick is just a one-hit wonder than after watching this match. Andy looked like Safin on a really bad day, throwing his racket and talking to himself. What's worse is that Andy admits that his mental game is the reason he has not seen more success. While that might be true in the early rounds against supposedly weaker opponents, I don't think Roddick has the tools or skills to win in the later rounds. He has no consistent strategy or play to back up his big serve. And if the serve falls apart, he has no chance.

I think Andy has finally started to realize that his future is not to be mentioned in the same breath as the other American tennis legends. This is Andy's second lack luster year in a row and he has yet to win a tournament in 2007. I know all of the die-hard Andy Roddick fans claim that he still can be the champion that he was expected to be. But at this point, expectations are not enough. Getting to the finals of a slam is not enough, just ask Anna Kournikova. It will take a miracle for Andy to pull an Agassi-like renaissance of a career who's ending was almost prematurely written. But it would be stupid to try to compare the early parts of Roddick's Career with Agassi's. To put it simply, Andy Roddick is not good enough.

Unfortunately for Andy, he doesn't have the looks or appeal to be an icon like Kournikova. And he doesn't have the skill to be a tennis pro with the likes of Igor Andreev. Let the Nadal-Federer rematch happen and as I look for a job for myself, I will look for one for Andy Roddick as well.