Roddick and Federer through in Flushing Meadows
Saturday, 30 August 2003 11:05Top seeds Andy Roddick and Roger Federer both progressed to the third round of the US Open in Flushing Meadows. Roddick received a 21st birthday present a day early as he defeated Ivan Ljubicic 6-3 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 7-6 (10/8) in the second round. The fourth seed was forced to save four set points in the fourth-set tie-breaker, the final one disputed by the Croatian who felt it was out.
And Ljubicic hit out at the American after his defeat. 'If you played this match anywhere in the world but the United States, I would have won it,' he said. 'The umpire's call and his acting on court, he doesn't respect the others.'
But Roddick played down the controversy, and concentrated on his birthday. 'I think I deserve a beer after that one,' he said.
Second seed Federer had no problems as he raced into the third round with a 6-1 6-2 6-0 rout of France's Jean-Rene Lisnard in just 78 minutes. The Wimbledon champion won 85% of his first serves, hit 32 winners and broke serve seven times as Lisnard recorded only eight winners against 37 unforced errors.
Federer's next match should not be as easy after American James Blake held off Armenia's Sargis Sargsian 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6 (8/6) to match his best US Open performance. In other second-round matches, 12th seed Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands - a semi-finalist here last season - battled back from two sets down to beat Germany's Lars Burgsmuller 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-2 6-0.
And 13th seed David Nalbandian of Argentina overcame Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 5-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7/3). Also, unseeded Belgian Xavier Malisse upset 19th seed Agustin Calleri of Argentina 6-2 6-7 (3/7) 6-3 3-6 6-3. While, Wimbledon finalist and 1998 US Open runner-up Mark Philippoussis of Australia, the 20th seed, had no problem dispatching France's Anthony Dupuis 6-2 6-3 6-4.
Filed by Johnny Proby
