Roddick rolls into third round at farewell Open

NEW YORK (AFP) –

Roddick took the court to loud cheers a day after announcing this would be the last event of his career

Andy Roddick celebrates after winning against Australia’s Bernard Tomic during their 2012 US Open men’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on August 31. Roddick won 6-3, 6-4, 6-0

Andy Roddick served notice he will not go gently into retirement, blasting into the third round of the US Open on Friday by dispatching Australian teen Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in only 87 minutes.

Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, took the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium to loud cheers from supporters a day after announcing this would be the last event of his career, then made sure he would have at least one more match to play.

“Oh man. That was so much fun. I really appreciate that,” Roddick told the crowd. “I am going to try to stick around a little longer.”

The 30-year-old American advanced to a third-round matchup with Italy’s 59th-ranked Fabio Fognini as he hopes to make an emotional last charge at a Grand Slam crown on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts.

“I didn’t feel relaxed at all, not even a little bit,” Roddick said, saying he kept his emotions in control until seeing a television feature about his career just before the match.

Djokovic never faced a break point and won 90 percent of his first-serve points

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball against Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil during their 2012 US Open men’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Djokovic won 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.

“I assume it was set to an ’80s ballad,” Roddick said. “It got to me a little bit. I had to get away from that.”

Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Samantha Stosur advanced in straight sets while British teen Laura Robson sent Chinese ninth seed Li Na home after earlier sending three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters into retirement.

Three former champions — Russian third seed Maria Sharapova, Argentine seventh seed Juan Martin Del Potro and Australian Lleyton Hewitt — moved on with varying degrees of difficulty.

And World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, the reigning Australian Open champion from Belarus, was to face China’s Zheng Jie in a later match.

Serbian second seed Djokovic overwhelmed Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, never facing a break point and winning 90 percent of his first-serve points to reach the third round in 99 minutes.

“It was very windy so it was very important to stay focused, but I played great,” Djokovic said. “Even if the scoreline doesn’t indicate it, it was a tough match.”

Next for Djokovic will be France’s 31st-seeded Julien Benneteau, who ousted Russian-born US teen Dennis Novikov, the lowest-ranked player ever in the second round of a Grand Slam event at 1,098th, by 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 7-5.

Stosur has not won a title since lifting the US Open trophy last year

Samantha Stosur of Australia returns against Varvara Lepchenko of the US during their 2012 US Open women’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Stosur reached the fourth round with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory.

“It’s important to get a day’s rest and work on some things in my game and get ready for the next challenge,” Djokovic said.

Robson ousted 2011 French Open winner Li 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 for her first career triumph over a top-10 foe, booking a fourth-round showdown against Australian seventh seed Stosur.

“That’s going to be really tough,” Robson said. “I’m going to work hard and just do the best I can.”

Robson, an 18-year-old left-hander who was born in Australia but moved to Britain at age six, ended the career of three-time US Open champion Clijsters with a second-round triumph.

Robson, the youngest player in the world top 100 at 89th, became the first British woman in the fourth round of a Grand Slam since Sam Smith at Wimbledon in 1998 and the first in the Open’s last 16 since Jo Durie in 1991.

Li did not reach the last eight at any Grand Slam tournament for the first season since 2008.

Stosur, who has not won a title since lifting the US Open trophy last year, took a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over US 31st seed Varvara Lepchenko and looked forward to the challenge Robson presents.

“She’s already had two very good wins and she’s full of confidence,” Stosur said. “I’m going to have to be ready to play my best game. She’s got nothing to lose.”

Next up for Sharapova is a fourth-round meeting with 19th-seeded comnpatriot Nadia Petrova

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns to Mallory Burdett of the US during their 2012 US Open women’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Sharapova won 6-1, 6-1.

Sharapova, the 2006 US Open champion who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open title in June, eliminated 252nd-ranked US collegian Mallory Burdette 6-1, 6-1.

“I’m really happy to go one round further than last year,” the Russian said.

Next up for Sharapova is a fourth-round meeting with 19th-seeded comnpatriot Nadia Petrova.

Del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner, took a 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory over American Ryan Harrison and will play for a place in the last 16 against compatriot Leonardo Mayer.

Hewitt, the 2001 US Open winner, outlasted Luxenbourg’s Gilles Muller 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4.

Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, a 2007 US Open semi-finalist in his best Grand Slam run, moved into the third round by ousting Dutch qualifier Igor Sijsling 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (14/12).

Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova ousted Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-4 to reach a round-of-16 match against her third consecutive French foe, 11th seed Marion Bartoli, who downed compatriot Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 6-4.