Andy Roddick prevails over Fabio Fognini to reach last 16 – US Open 2012
Former world number one, Andy Roddick, continued to progress at this farewell tournament, as he beat Italy’s Fabio Fognini in four sets 7-5, 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-4 in the third round of the US Open on Sunday.
Roddick announced on his 30th birthday that he would retire from professional tennis, when he would lose at the ongoing Championships.
Backed by his home crowd, Roddick made the best possible start, as he grabbed first three games to race to a 3-0 lead. The American player failed to serve out the set in the ninth and also lost the following one to square off the
score at 5-5. However, he claimed two consecutive games after that to win 7-5.
Both players broke each other’s opening serve of the second set to level the proceedings at 1-1. There was no strike from either of the two players in the rest of it, taking the score to 6-6 to force a tie-breaker. Roddick took
charge after that, dropping only one point and grabbing it 7-6(1).
The American star and his Italian rival held their serve in the first nine games of the third set to take the score to 5-4 in favour of the latter. Serving to stay in contention at that moment, Roddick could not hold and threw
it away 4-6.
Roddick and Fognini traded a break of serve in the opening four games of the fourth set to even it out at 2-2. The American hit a blow to Fognini in the seventh and made the most of that to seal it 6-4.
In an on court interview after the match, Roddick said, “I’m trying to keep my emotions together, all the while trying to appreciate this tournament. You guys have just made it so special.”
He added in the post match press conference, “This whole process, I'm not trying to over think it. I'm enjoying it. I'm trying to be as simplistic as possible. I'm trying to enjoy the process. And when I get out there, [I’m] trying
to compete also.”
Roddick is pitted against the 2009 champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, in the fourth round.
Talking about his next round’s opponent, Roddick stated, “He's a tough matchup for anybody because he hits such a big ball. I'm going to have to serve well, kind of try to rush him a little bit. When he gets into a groove and has
time, he'll put a hurt on the ball.”
The American is also a former champion, as he won US Open by beating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 final.
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