BE IT OVERPOWERING HIS OPPONENTS WITH HIS ROCKET SERVE OR SIMPLY POWERING HIS JET SKI AROUND LAKE AUSTIN, TENNIS'S ANDY RODDICK IS MAKING A RACKET

There's nothing unusual about a rousing game of tennis between neighbors. But if you live in Austin and the guy next door just happens to be Andy Roddick, you best break out the body armor. Currently ranked number three in the world, Roddick holds the record for the fastest serve on the planet, clocked at a blistering 155 mph. Try eyeballing, much less returning, that baby. It's no wonder he routinely whips 10 to 20 aces per match by his whimpering opponents.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, the last in a line of three boys, Roddick moved to the Texas capital at age four. Seven years later, the clan packed up and headed to Florida, where both he and his brothers thrived on the junior tennis circuit. At 19, Roddick plunked down a chunk of his prize money for a home in Boca Raton, but in 2003, he opted for a little Lone Star living, specifically, a light-flooded, contemporary manse on the shores of Lake Austin. And although he spends nearly 11 months of the year on the road, hitting spots - and shots - from Tokyo to Tennessee, home is where the heart is (not to mention a jet ski or two).