Roddick's Open title a distant memory

Another year older, another day removed from his 2003 U.S. Open title, Andy Roddick carried on Monday. He effortlessly turned 28 and routinely went about cashiering 30-year-old French journeyman Stephane Robert, ranked 78th in the world, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, on the 2010 Open's first day.

"You wake up in the morning and you put what you can into that single day," Roddick said. "So, you know, obviously I know I'm probably closer to finished than I am to the start. But I don't know, [age] is a number. I'm barely older than I was yesterday, so . . ."

This is Roddick's 11th consecutive appearance at Flushing Meadows. It is not as if tennis is devouring his youth, but the clock always is ticking and this year, as in virtually every year since he took home the big trophy - on his way to a year-end No. 1 ranking - it is widely assumed that Roddick will not repeat.

While Roger Federer ruled, and with Rafael Nadal now top-ranked, Roddick's legacy long ago began to solidify as equal parts "best American male of his generation" and not-quite world beater. Since 2003, he has been Wimbledon runner-up three times and U.S. Open runner-up once (2006). But not again, as that one time, top dog.

Now the No. 9 seed, he thinks of 2003 "a little bit" each time he returns to the Open. "You know, there's reminders. Obviously, the walkways . . . and you get the little deal on your locker that says you're special." His locker bears his name and the year of his title.

That he has played 25 Open night matches over the years - second only to Andre Agassi's 33 - attests to Roddick's star power. He has played some rousing, memorable matches, including some of those howling-at-the-moon Open specials that last into the wee hours of the following morning.

Just two years ago, Roddick and Latvia's Ernests Gulbis played so long that both aged a year: They started on the evening of Aug. 29 and finished early on the 30th - the birth date for both men. That same year, Roddick and Federer chased each other all around Arthur Ashe Stadium during a tense night quarterfinal won by Federer.

When Roddick pushed Federer 30 games into the fifth set of last year's Wimbledon final, it appeared he might use his improved fitness to finally take Federer's measure in a major. Instead, Roddick's narrow loss has dropped him back into the pack of pursuers.

Now, on top of everything, Roddick this summer discovered he had a case of mononucleosis. At the Open tuneup in Cincinnati two weeks ago, he was told by doctors he was "supposed to play an hour a day for that week, and I failed at that.

"But I feel 80 percent better than I did five, six weeks ago. I'm going the right way."

One day at a time.