Roddick leads march of young Americans

With Pete Sampras absent and Andre Agassi coming off an injury, attention will turn to the future of the American game when the Nasdaq-100 Open starts at Key Biscayne today.

Andy Roddick, touted as a potential Grand Slam winner, is the best of a promising group of under 23-year-olds. Mardy Fish, ranked 53rd, reached his first tournament final this month at Delray Beach; Taylor Dent (41st) won his second career title last month at Memphis; Robbie Ginepri (61st) beat Marat Safin, of Russia, last week at Indian Wells; and James Blake (24th) and Brian Vahaly (64th) also reached the quarter-finals there.

There may well be some surprises at Key Biscayne, where the crowd support and hardcourt surface give Americans an edge. Agassi has won the tournament five times, Sampras three.

Sampras, who has not played a match since winning the US Open in September, pulled out two weeks ago. His absence notwithstanding, Key Biscayne has attracted a Grand Slam-calibre field.

Lleyton Hewitt of Australia is seeded No 1 among the men, with the defending champion Agassi No 2 as he comes back from a shoulder injury. On the women's side, the defending champion, Serena Williams, seeded to face her sister Venus in the final.