Re: Hardcourt Season
Yes, but losing a TB 1-7 to Rajeev Ram.......
apparently mardy's hurt (ankle?) so they've pulled out of doubles as a precaution. Also.....
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Andy Roddick Guts Out Win in Atlanta
7/22/2010 7:43 PM ET By Knox Bardeen
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. -- After a first-round bye at the Atlanta Tennis Championships, top-seeded Andy Roddick took the court
for the first time on Thursday and defeated Rajeev Ram in three sets, 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3.
The match lasted an hour and 55 minutes in the blistering sun and offered the fans a lot of tennis following a very
quick first set. Roddick gave up only two points in his service games in a first set that lasted just 20 minutes.
He looked to be on cruise control headed toward a very easy win.
Ram, however, had plans to play a little longer, and came out in the second set with a different look.
His first serve in the second set was a 127 mph ace. Ram was going to take a stand in his service game and while not
overpowering, he made smart decisions in his service game -- especially when he got his first serve in.
Ram won 90 percent of the points in the second set when he got his first serve in play. And Roddick, admittedly, had
trouble with that part of Ram's game.
"I didn't return as well as I wanted to in the second set," said Roddick.
It wasn't just a change in his service game that helped Ram take the second set from Roddick. With a combination of big
shots and great shot sequencing, Ram was now forcing Roddick to make errors when it was the other way around earlier in the match.
The two exchanged service-game wins throughout the set, neither breaking the other in the second set. The tiebreaker
was a different story.
Ram jumped out quick with a big serve for the early lead and then kept mini-breaking Roddick until the switchover,
when he lead 5-1. Ram won the next two points and took the second set after an easy time in the tiebreaker.
When the third set began, Roddick looked to be struggling with his ground strokes. He won the game with a second-serve, 132 mph ace -- a trend in the match in which Roddick took chances on his second serve -- but at the changeover called the
trainer out.
The trainer said a few words to Roddick but then walked away, standing behind the umpire chair while the next two games
were played.
During the next game Roddick still looked physically spent and turned to his coach and asked for two pairs of new socks. At
the changeover, Roddick got the new socks, but didn't change.
The injury was either a bruised foot or a nerve in Roddick's left foot. "I was going to get it worked on or treated, but I wasn't sure how it would react," said Roddick. "It felt swollen so I was a little scared to take my shoe off and have it blow up."
Roddick said the injury is something that he's dealt with before and that it happens sometimes when he plays in heat for the first time.
"I was trying to decide if I should stop and get treatment, so I consulted the trainer and decided against it -- to tough it out," said Roddick.
"I have the night match tomorrow, so the schedule is in my favor to get some treatment."
After Roddick turned down treatment from the trainer, he gingerly proceeded in the next game. Ram jumped out to an early lead, but gave away four straight points to concede a break point to Roddick.
Roddick and Ram held serve for the rest of the set, but that one break from Roddick was enough to take the set, and the match.
Roddick's match on Friday is against Xavier Malisse, the player Roddick defeated nine years ago to win his first ATP Tour event here in Atlanta.