Roddick aced out of China Open
Date published :
03 Oct 2011 - 16:05:34
The 2008 winner Andy Roddick was sent packing in his opening match at the ATP-WTA China Open on Monday by South African Kevin Anderson, joining the eighth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in making an early exit.
There was also the high-profile withdrawal of Gael Monfils with a knee injury, the ATP confirmed, saying he will also miss next week's Shanghai Masters.
The Frenchman, who lost in the Bangkok semi-finals at the weekend to Donald Young, was to have started as second seed in Beijing behind compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Roddick, the sixth seed in the Chinese capital, was comprehensively beaten 4-6, 5-7 by Anderson, who blasted down his eighth ace for match point and triumphed on his second winning opportunity.
The loss was a huge blow to Roddick, whose sole title this season came in Memphis in February. The American had won both of his previous matches against Anderson, ranked 31st in the world.
"I had lots of break points in the first set and I broke twice in the second," said a disappointed Roddick. "If I break twice and don't win a set, that says my serve isn't holding up.
"Most times I feel like if I break him twice in a set I'm fine. Tonight I wasn't -- that's unacceptable."
Dolgopolov fell 1-6, 6-1, 0-6 to Italian Flavio Cipolla in a topsy-turvy clash.
Croatia's former top 10 regular Marin Cilic, now 25th in the world, defeated China's Wu Di 6-2, 6-0, while Spain's Feliciano Lopez put out Turk Marsel Ilhan 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco beat Michael Llodra of France 6-2, 6-4.
Florian Mayer of Germany, playing his first match since winning the clay Bucharest title eight days ago, made a successful change to the hard courts, taking out Spaniard Albert Ramos 6-2, 6-4.
Women's holder Caroline Wozniacki survived a tough challenge to begin her title defence, with the top seed stretched to the limit in a win over Lucie Hradecka, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.
Wozniacki, the top-ranked player on the WTA but without a Grand Slam crown, has had a patchy few months, winning a minor pre-US Open title, stalling in the semi-finals in New York and then crashing to a second-round loss last week in Tokyo.
"It wasn't a pretty match, but I'm through," said the top seed. "That's what's most important."
Beijing has a special place for the Dane, winner of six titles this season, who first took over the top ranking in the Chinese capital a year ago.
"It's been a year now that I'm number one, it's an amazing feeling. It's something I've always practised for and tried to achieve. Over the last few tournaments of the season, I want to finish off well."
Wary of the first-round upset loss of French Open winner Li Na of China, Wozniacki made sure she came through for victory over her 49th-ranked opponent, but not before dropping the first set.
However, the 21-year-old belatedly came good, ignoring nine aces from her opponent, who also sent over seven double-faults. Wozniacki broke six times on her way to victory and a meeting with Australian Jarmila Gajdosova.
In other first-round matches, Zheng Jie earned a home win as she beat Alberta Brianti 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, while Ana Ivanovic upset 16th-seeded two-time winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3.
Russian Maria Kirilenko, the 2005 winner, beat German Julia Goerges 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.
Austrian Tamira Paszek booked the first of the third-round places with her defeat of Czech Petra Cetkovska 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Seventh seed and former Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy went out to Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-2.
