London - AFP
Andy Roddick resumes his rollercoaster relationship with Wimbledon this weekend determined to finally emerge from the All England Club as a champion. The former world number one has been a beaten men\'s singles finalist at Wimbledon three times -- losing to Roger Federer in 2004, 2005 and 2009. After a third round defeat by David Ferrer this year, the American is back for the Olympics at the venue which has caused him so much professional heartbreak. Roddick arrived in London on Tuesday after an overnight flight from New York, having travelled there after capturing the Atlanta title on Sunday. \"As tennis players, we are accustomed to playing week after week and month after month,\" said the 29-year-old at a news conference staged just two hours after touching down at Heathrow Airport. \"We play January through to the end of November a lot of years, so I think we are used to it. \"It\'s certainly not a surprise, it\'s not like it\'s tough to predict when the Olympics are coming -- you know when it is ahead of you. It\'s a packed schedule but it\'s also full of important events, ones that we are lucky to play.\" Roddick said playing at Wimbledon once again was a dream chance to add an Olympic gold medal to his 32 career titles. \"I certainly wasn\'t disappointed when London won the Games and it looked like it would be played at Wimbledon on grass,\" he said. \"Obviously there are another couple of clay court venues in the mix for tennis which I probably wouldn\'t have liked as much. I think our team generally likes playing on the grass, so it fits well.\" Teammate John Isner, now the United States top-ranked male player, is also relishing his Olympic opportunity at a venue where two years ago he was involved in the longest match in history, defeating France\'s Nicolas Mahut in a 183 game marathon. It will also be a dramatic change to his last on-court action, playing team tennis at the weekend in the United States with the Boston Lobsters. \"Well, the atmosphere at the Lobsters is second to none -- it got me prepared for the Olympic Games,\" he laughed. \"Everyone just got off the plane and getting here to the Olympic Park, you can feel the energy even though no one is around. \"To be honest I don\'t really know what to expect as of right now, but it\'s going to be a thrilling experience, especially for me as it is my first one.\"