Roddick upset by Tipsarevic in second round
Andy Roddick, of the United States, talks to the chair umpire and points to the line judge after being called for a foot fault during the eighth game of his match against Janko Tipsarevic, of Serbia, during the second round of the U.S. Open. (Sept. 1, 2010) Credit: AP
It must be exasperating.
While a new U.S. Open marketing campaign, rolled out this year, is extolling the tournament with an "It Must Be . . . " theme - It Must Thrilling; It Must Be Anticipation; It Must Be Love and so on - Andy Roddick added his personal take with a maddening 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (4) second-round upset loss to Janko Tipsarevic last night.
"I was playing really well, trying not to finish the points too early," Tipsarevic said. "Big first-service percentage really helped me."
It was the second straight early exit for Roddick, the No. 9 seed who went out in the third round a year ago against John Isner. Since he won the Open title in 2003, still his only major tournament championship, Roddick repeatedly has been disappointed at Flushing Meadows.
America's No. 1 male player for almost a decade, Roddick lost in the first round in 2005 and in the quarterfinals three other times. He made it to the final in 2006, only to be beaten by Roger Federer.
Last night, against the 44th-ranked Tipsarevic, who eliminated Roddick from Wimbledon two years ago, Roddick sailed through the first set and then, after the relentlessly retrieving Tipsarevic narrowly won the second, Roddick began to slowly unravel.
Tipsarevic, a 26-year-old battler from Serbia whose dark beard and tinted glasses give him something of a sinister look, has made it as far as the fourth round only twice in 26 previous Grand Slam events and never had been past the second round in six U.S. Open appearances.
Foundering at 2-5 in the third set, Roddick was called for a foot fault - echoes of the controversial call that set off Serena Williams during last year's Open - and began yammering at the offending lineswoman.
Courtside microphones picked up Roddick challenging the lineswoman over which foot had touched the line, muttering about the "physical impossibility" of his right foot fouling. Television replays clearly showed he had touched the line, though with his left foot.
"Why don't you get umpires who know what they're doing?" Roddick steamed. With the crowd and Roddick suddenly energized, Roddick, serving at 0-40, saved three set points - the third with an ace on which Tipsarevic lost a replay challenge call.
Roddick went on to win the game and saved another set point on Tipsarevic's serve before Tipsarevic at last secured the set with a hot backhand winner.
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