Andy Roddick’s Appearance Sold Tickets

Written by: Staff on 12th September 2012

Andy Roddick’s Appearance Sold Tickets

epa03385258 Andy Roddick of the US serves to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during his last service game in their fourth round match on the tenth day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 05 September 2012. The match is Roddick's last as a singles tennis player as he had announced at the start of the US Open that he would retire whenever this US Open ended for him. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

The US Open got a modest boost from ticket sales as it hosted what turned out to be the Andy Roddick farewell event as the longtime American icon retired on his 30th birthday at the Grand Slam. Officials said that their ticket sales were up by 30 percent based on the “Roddick factor” alone.

For many causal fans in the country, Roddick and perhaps Roger Federer and maybe Rafael Nadal are the only current tennis names they might recognize. Now, Roddick is gone, leaving the US game looking for a face to put on the game for the average fan.

The uptick at the box office seemed to begin during the third-round match against Italy’s Fabio Fognini, but could be traced back a round before when tickets for the Fognini contest went from $190 to $207 in online markets. After Roddick won over the Italian, the average price for ticket to his net contest move from $200 to $262. The day sessions even commanded a premium over the night session by $30.

Roddick ended his career in the fourth round, going down to Juan Del Potro.

While Roddick prices may have been impressive in a local sense, they were dwarfed by prices for tickets to the men’s final, which were listed for around $555 in the official markets.

Topics: American tennis news, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis News, US Open 2012