Roddick and Ljubicic Battle for Indian Wells Title

Andy Roddick is a victory away from his first Masters Title (fifth overall) win since Cincinnati 2006. Standing in Roddick’s way is seasoned veteran Ivan Ljubicic.

Tennis bettors looking to back Ljubicic may well find his odds tempting, especially as he has punched above his weight class to reach the final; most notably, he beat defending champion Rafael Nadal in the semis yesterday – perhaps his biggest career win to date.

However, Ljubicic fans have to consider there are several issues against Ljubicic – a losing head-to-head against Roddick and age. Let us not forget that Ljubicic will have to stare down not only Roddick but also a crowd full of his supporters.

Roddick and Ljubicic come into this match with great stories in their wake. Roddick has not won a Masters title since 2006 and he would like nothing better than to return to the Masters Champion circle. Ljubicic, a former world No.3, has never won a title as prestigious as this and he would love to be inducted finally into this illustrious group.

As touching as both back-stories are there can only be one winner tonight. One has to give the edge to Roddick, not only because he has been there before, but because he has home strength to draw from.

Having said that, one cannot be surprised if Ljubicic masterminds the upset once again. Afterall, that is exactly what he has been doing throughout the entire tournament.