Andy Roddick upset by Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the second round – AEGON Championships 2012
Former world number one, Andy Roddick of USA, bowed out of the tournament on his very first hurdle, as he lost to the 67th ranked, Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, in three sets 4-6, 6-4, 5-7 in the second round at
the AEGON Championships in London on Wednesday. The seventh seed lost the battle after fighting closely for two hours and one minute.
Roger-Vasselin and Roddick made a steady start to the match, as they held their serve in the first six games, equalising the score at 3-3. The Frenchman got his initial breakthrough in the seventh and won his subsequent serve to
build a 5-3 lead. Roddick reduced the trail to 4-5 but could not level the score, losing it 4-6.
The French contender and his American rival did not allow each other to break serve in the first nine games of the second set and took the score to 5-4 in favour of the latter. Roger-Vasselin tumbled under pressure, when he served
to stay in the set at 4-5 and went down 4-6.
After the score getting tied at one set apiece, it all came to the decider. In a similar fashion to the first two sets, Roddick and Roger-Vasselin started it stably, holding their serves in the first 10 games to take the score
to 5-5. The Frenchman looked like a completely different player in the following two games, as he lost just two points and captured a couple of them consecutively to seal it 7-5.
Roger-Vasselin bombarded 13 aces committed a couple of double faults throughout the contest. He survived 22 aces and 79 percent blistering first serves from his opponent. The Frenchman was the better player on crucial moments,
as he saved four of the five break threats he came across.
Roddick said, giving an interview at the end of the match, “I thought I had a look there in the third set, and honestly I felt like I was going to take that thing once I turned it. Didn't work out that way. The guy played great.
I didn't hit the ball too badly. I've certainly played a lot worse this year so far.”
The American added, “Both ways are contagious. You win, you can hit the ball terribly and somehow you get through. It works against you until you find your groove. Certainly I'm looking right now.”
Roger-Vasselin will lock horns with Argentina’s David Nalbandian in the third round.
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