Montreal, Aug 06: Andy Roddick joined Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in the second round of the 2.45-million-dollar Masters series with a 3-6 6-0 6-2 comeback win over Xavier Malisse.
Roddick, the sixth seed who has earned 40 match wins this season for the third consecutive year, yesterday won his seventh straight match without a defeat against the pony-tailed Belgian.
The victory puts Roddick, who lifted the Indianapolis title last month, into a second-round clash against Argentine Juan Chela.
"I had to get used to conditions said the winner of three titles in his past six tournaments. The balls here are heavier and the courts are a bit slower than what I`ve been used to.
"I was missing early on and he played better at the start. I tried to put away as many shots as I could, but I didn`t serve particularly well tonight."



Third seed Federer salvaged the start of his hardcourt summer as he achieved first-round success with a 6-4 3-6 7-5 victory over Argentine Gaston Gaudio.



The victory in Federer`s first match since losing the Gstaad final the week after his Wimbledon triumph was a close affair, with the third seed coming back from a break down in the third and eventually winning on his first match point.



He faced treble break points early in the final set, with his chances of carrying on after two career losses in Canada looking grim.


Bureau Report