Andy Roddick has offered Felix Auger-Aliassime some crucial advice ahead of his US Open semi-final clash vs Jannik Sinner.
For many, the result of this match is already a foregone conclusion.
After all, the Canadian has already played the world number one in the last month, and won just two games in a crushing straight sets loss in Cincinnati.
So, many are wondering why this upcoming showdown would be any different.
However, Andy Roddick thinks that if Auger-Aliassime can get a few key things right, there’s hope for him to complete the ultimate upset and reach his maiden Grand Slam final in New York.
Felix Auger-Aliassime told how he can unsettle Jannik Sinner in US Open semi-final
Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, in front of a live audience, he first sought to address the unfair expectations sometimes placed on players like Auger-Aliassime. He claimed: “Dude, I think we’re all guilty of it as analysts is, okay, the standard is set of peak, performance, and excellence. It’s now been set by Sinner and Alcaraz.
“So everything is judged kind of in the fall of them, but that doesn’t mean Felix hasn’t been a great player, you know, because he’s 19 and has promise, it doesn’t mean at 25…
“The guys in the last four players on Earth… of a Grand Slam tournament. That’s not easy. We can’t be dismissive about accomplishment.”
Roddick then broke down his imminent semi-final: “He has to take a lot of risk on his second serve, right?
“When Sinner gets a second serve, and he knows where it’s going, I always make the parallel between, you know, not too far away from here. We’ve had some pretty good baseball players, right? If Babe Ruth knew what was coming. It wasn’t going to end well for the pitcher. If Aaron Judge knows what’s coming, it’s not going to end well for the pitcher.
“If Sinner knows what’s coming, it’s not gonna end well for the opponent. That’s why Carlos has a decent head to head is because Carlos has so much variety, right? He can hit the chip, he can come in, he’s so well-versed in so many different parts of the court.
“You know, FAA can’t be predictable. If he’s neutral in a rally, he’s behind. That needs to be the mentality.
“If I’m his coach, and that’s gonna manifest in some irresponsible errors. He has to be able to live with those, right? And then you’re gonna get the people going, ‘Well, he shouldn’t have missed that ball.’
“I promise you he’s good enough not to miss that ball. It’s because if he leaves that ball hanging in the wrong part of the court, Darth Sinner comes in and finishes finishes him off. I like Sinner in this match.”
Alex de Minaur admitted to ‘seeing red’ after his loss to Auger-Aliassime, but there is little chance of the 25-year-old eliciting a similar response from the quiet, calculated killer that is Jannik Sinner.
Jannik Sinner is fighting for so many different things at the US Open
Whilst defending his US Open crown will be one of the main motivators driving his success, there are numerous narratives also intertwined within Sinner’s run this year.
Unsurprisingly, both involve his great rival, Carlos Alcaraz.
After all, if he is to win this title ahead of the Spaniard, he will draw level with him on five Grand Slam titles.
Not only that, but he has to ensure that he betters whatever result Alcaraz manages in order to hold onto his spot at the top of the world rankings.
For Sinner, there is so much more on the line than just a trophy.
