Miami - Roger Federer takes victories in his last dozen ATP matches against Andy Roddick into the pair's Miami Masters quarter-final showdown. But the American underdog insists he's still up for the challenge.
"I always look forward to it, and I do believe that I'll beat him one of these times," said Roddick, who last stopped the Swiss in the summer of 2003.
Roddick said that despite repeated hammerings - eight of them in finals - "he's one of the few guys that I have probably played three or four really, really good matches against him and come up short.
"I think I have brought out the best in him a couple of times."
That may be the lone consolation for the American number six. "Sometimes I have walked off the court shaking my head and wondering, but then a couple of times he hasn't played that great and I have matched him.
"All I can do is put my best foot forward, and hopefully right now he's thinking about it a little bit. Obviously I think I have to serve well. Just goes down to the basics."
Roddick said that even if he never again gets over the top of the Swiss Alp, he believes he has the game to win another slam. "If I'm 1-26 against Roger and that one win leads me to a Slam or leads me something that can get that, then I'm okay with that. The good thing about tennis is you pretty much start over at the beginning of every day."
And the newly engaged American is determined not to give up on his dream of again beating the game's best.
"Even after some of my tough losses, I think I have always been pretty clear that I would get up the next morning and keep going.
"I have had a pretty good career doing that so far."
