Regions Morgan Keegan Championships: Andy Roddick reaches semis
American number one Andy Roddick beat former world number one from Australia Lleyton Hewitt in a three-set battle to reach the semi-final of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships 2011 in Memphis. He won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Hewitt, who appeared to suffer from a leg injury late in the match, saved six match points before Roddick ended matters with his 21st ace of the match.
“There's a reason why Lleyton is going to be a Hall of Famer in this game,” Roddick stated. “He just fights so hard. I don't know exactly what was wrong, but he was fighting through something tonight. He (fights through) in a way that he doesn't bring attention
to it; it's not full of a bunch of histrionics. The guy just goes out and competes. He certainly has the respect of all of (the players).”
Roddick will take on the US Open 2009 champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the semi-final who beat American Michael Russell in the quarterfinal 6-4, 6-2.
Prior to the clash between Hewitt and Roddick, the two players were levelled at 6-6 in their career head-to-head record. However, Andy Roddick who has not lost to the Australian since 2005, continued his winning streak against Hewitt.
In a post match interview, Roddick said, “He played better early. I haven’t gotten off to great starts in two of my three matches, so I’m going to have to start playing better from the get-go. But a match can turn quickly and it did tonight. The end of the
second set and the third set was probably the best I’ve played in the tournament so far.”
Roddick has not managed a win so far against Del Potro in their previous three meetings. When asked about how he is going to overcome Roddick in the semi-final, Potro said that it would be a tough match against the American and he will try his level best
to beat him. He said he was glad on qualifying for the semi-final and thanked the tournament organisers to grant him an entry through a wild card.
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