Roddick is the future of tennis - Arthurs

Australian Wayne Arthurs, who lost 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-4) to the 135-mph serve of 18-year-old American Andy Roddick in the first round of the Washington Classic on Monday, said he's seen the future of the game.

"He's pretty much the future of the game," Arthurs said. "I hate to think what tennis is going to be like in 10 years with all these kids watching and imitating him."

When the ninth-seeded Roddick got his first look at the draw in Washington and saw he was facing the hard-serving Arthurs, his first thought was it was going to be a tight match.

"I figured right away, tiebreaker in the third (set)," Roddick said.

"There wasn't much difference between us. Just one or two points at the end."

Although Arthurs has had a good year with a fourth round finish at the French Open, including a victory over countryman Patrick Rafter, and the semifinals of the tour event in Delray Beach, Florida, he sees Roddick's progress and fears it.

Like the other players, he saw the back-to-back tour titles at Houston and Atlanta earlier this year and he knew that Roddick had arrived. "I know I'm not going to sneak up on anybody anymore," said Roddick, who reached the quarterfinals of this event last year as a 17-year-old ranked 596th in the world.

"I definitely had that surprise factor last year."

That factor has now disappeared and his rivals are taking notice and, as players start to study Roddick's game, Arthurs expects it to get a little tougher for the youngster.

Despite the fact he is becoming more noticeable, Roddick has one more advantage -- the advantage of youth's fear-nothing attitude.

"He's very confident on the court," Arthurs said.

"But he's comfortable off the court. He's similar to Lleyton Hewitt in that way."

It's something Roddick has noticed himself.

"I just believe in myself more now," he said.

"And the American fans are getting behind me. That's really helping me."