- News>
- Tennis
Roddick edges past Saulnier in Indianapolis
Indianapolis (USA), July 23: Top seed Andy Roddick`s fate hung in the balance until the very end of his 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 7-6 (7/4) second round match against France`s Cyril Saulnier last night at the ATP hardcourt tournament here.
Indianapolis (USA), July 23: Top seed Andy Roddick's
fate hung in the balance until the very end of his 6-7 (5/7)
6-3 7-6 (7/4) second round match against France's Cyril
Saulnier last night at the ATP hardcourt tournament here.
In the second meeting between the two, Saulnier again dogged the sixth-ranked Roddick through three long sets. But as at key Biscayne in march, Roddick emerged with a victory. According to Roddick, the 101st-ranked Saulnier played a "smart match" against him, keeping the American guessing with a mix of power and finesse.
"It's encouraging," Saulnier said. "We have to take good things from our matches. I played Roddick close in two matches. It's not easy - sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Saulnier's tactics, coupled with strong serving, kept Roddick off-balance, especially in the first set where the American failed to capitalise on 10 break point opportunities.
"It was almost as if the better shot I hit, the better one he would come up with," Roddick said. "I was definitely a little perplexed."
Along with new coach, Brad Gilbert, Roddick has been working on curbing his on-court anxiety, but tonight he allowed his frustration to surface, throwing his racket in the first set and swiping it on the court when he dropped serve in the third game of the second set.
"I thought I was getting the better end of him, but all of a sudden I'm down a set and a break," Roddick said. "I told myself to chill out a bit and said, 'what can you do to get back into this?' "
Bureau Report.
In the second meeting between the two, Saulnier again dogged the sixth-ranked Roddick through three long sets. But as at key Biscayne in march, Roddick emerged with a victory. According to Roddick, the 101st-ranked Saulnier played a "smart match" against him, keeping the American guessing with a mix of power and finesse.
"It's encouraging," Saulnier said. "We have to take good things from our matches. I played Roddick close in two matches. It's not easy - sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Saulnier's tactics, coupled with strong serving, kept Roddick off-balance, especially in the first set where the American failed to capitalise on 10 break point opportunities.
"It was almost as if the better shot I hit, the better one he would come up with," Roddick said. "I was definitely a little perplexed."
Along with new coach, Brad Gilbert, Roddick has been working on curbing his on-court anxiety, but tonight he allowed his frustration to surface, throwing his racket in the first set and swiping it on the court when he dropped serve in the third game of the second set.
"I thought I was getting the better end of him, but all of a sudden I'm down a set and a break," Roddick said. "I told myself to chill out a bit and said, 'what can you do to get back into this?' "
Bureau Report.