Andy Roddick battles past Feliciano Lopez into the round of 16 – AEGON Championships
American number 2 and four-time former champion Andy Roddick, ranked 10th in the world, survived ace storm by world number 41 Feliciano Lopez of Spain, beating him in three thrilling sets 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 6-4 in the second round of AEGON Championships at the Queen’s Club in London on Tuesday. The American took two hours and thirteen minutes to undo his opponent in a marathon match.
Roddick and Lopez failed to break each other’s serve in the first twelve games of the opening set, squaring off the score at 6-6 and taking the set to a tie-break. The American was near flawless as he dropped just two points in the tie-break, winning it 7-2.
Roddick fired eight aces and 77 percent of the first deliveries, converting 79 percent of them into points in the first set. The American could not capitalise on the only break point opportunity he created on Lopez’s serve in the opening set.
In a similar fashion to the first set, the second set went with serve in the first twelve games to level the score at 6-6 and force a tie-break. However, in contrast to the previous set, Lopez stepped up and claimed a single mini-break to win the tie-break 7-5.
The Spaniard hit a barrage of aces, delivering an amazing fifteen of them and 71 percent of the first serves in the second set. The Spaniard won 89 percent of the first service points in the second set. Roddick saved both break points he received in the second set.
Lopez drew the first blood in the final set as he broke Roddick in the third game to go ahead 2-1. However, he could not sustain the lead, getting broken in the very next game to level the score at 2-2. The next five games went with serve, taking the score to 5-4 in favour of Roddick. Serving to stay in the set at 4-5, the Spaniard could not hold his serve, going down 4-6.
Roddick hit five aces and kept his first serve percentage at 79 percent, clinching 84 percent of the points on first serve in the third set. The American won two of the five break points he received on the Spaniard’s serve and saved one of the two break points on his own serve in the deciding set.
Reflecting on the match, Roddick said, “I didn't enjoy it when I saw I might play him in the second round, I’ll tell you that much. I knew it was going to be tough. He is a very good grass-court player. [But] I feel great on grass. This is one of my favourite tournaments in the world and I'm just so happy to be back here in London.”
The third seed will take on either Kevin Anderson of South Africa or compatriot Donald Young in the third round.
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