Andy Roddick rallies past Philipp Petzschner into the second round – Delray Beach International 2012
Former world number one, Andy Roddick, came back after losing the first set to beat the world number 61, Philipp Petzschner, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the first round at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championship in Florida, USA
on Tuesday.
The fourth seed fought for an hour and 39 minutes for a place in the round of 16.
Petzschner was first to take lead, breaking the American in the third game of the opening set and holding his next serve to go up 3-1. The 27-year-old served it out at 5-4.
Roddick struck the blow in the fourth game of the second set and went up 3-1 but Petzschner responded immediately and equalised the score at 3-3. The American broke again in the tenth to capture it 6-4.
The 29-year-old, Roddick, took complete control of the decider, as he grabbed first three games to build a 3-0 lead. The American allowed Petzschner to win just two points in the last three, snatching the set 6-1.
Roddick, who is one of the best servers in the game, smacked nine aces and claimed 35 of the 44 first delivery points. Petzschner and Roddick were erratic on their second serves, as they committed seven and four double faults respectively.
The American put away five of the seven break threats and utilised four of the eleven opportunities in the match.
"For me it was just a matter of trying to find it at some point,” relieved Roddick said while talking to the media persons, “I was returning really badly early on. I'm just glad I finished strong. From 4-all in the second set I
played really well."
The former US Open champion is fighting injuries. He was forced to retire from his second round match at the Australian Open with a right hamstring injury.
The American added, "It started coming around tonight. I felt okay in practice the last couple of days. The biggest thing is getting to transfer over to a match in match conditions. It takes one (match) to get going and, hopefully,
this is the one."
Roddick will lock horns with Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the second round.
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