Philipp Kohlschreiber upsets Andy Roddick in opening round – Western & Southern Open 2011
World number 47 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany fought back after losing the first set to edge past former world number 1 Andy Roddick of USA in three sets 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-1 in the first round at the Western and Southern Open in
Cincinnati, Ohio on Monday.
Kohlschreiber and Roddick won their service games throughout the opening set to equalise the score at 6-6, taking the set to a tie-break. The American hit a return winner to bag a single mini-break and capitalised on it to win
7-5.
Roddick relied on his huge first serves to clinch most of the points in the first set. The American fired eleven aces and won a whopping 24 of the 26 first service points. The right-handed delivered 76 percent of the first serves
and saved all the five break points he faced in the opening set.
Roddick was looking strong as he broke Kohlschreiber in the fifth game of the second set and consolidated on it to build a 4-2 lead. However, the German broke back in the eighth game to equalise the score at 4-4. Kohlschreiber
broke the American again in the twelfth game, clinching the set 7-5.
Kohlschreiber delivered five aces and 68 percent of the first serves, bagging thirteen of the seventeen points on them in the second set. On the other hand, Roddick was unable to match his previous set’s performance, hitting just
three aces and claiming eight of the eleven first service points in the second set.
After winning a close second set, Kohlschreiber came roaring as he captured five games in a row, breaking the American in the second and fourth game to race to a 5-0 lead in the final set. Roddick held his serve in the sixth game
to reduce the trail to 1-5 and avoid a bagel set. However, the American could not stage a comeback as Kohlschreiber served out the set in the next game, sealing it 6-1.
Talking to the reporters after the match, the German said, “I started to play maybe a little bit better, more free. I think I almost broke him to love or 15, so it was a very good break. Basically I was back in the match. Then
maybe he struggled a little bit more. Same thing the next break, that I guessed four times the right side, played a solid return, he had to come in, and I played some good passing shots. Turned the match around.”
Kohlschreiber will face world number 25 Feliciano Lopez of Spain in the round of 32.
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