The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Federer, Roddick exit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 06, 2004

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Federer, Roddick exit

ROME, MAY 5. A lbert Costa stunned Roger Federer in the second round of the Telecom Italia Masters on Wednesday, coming from a set down to oust the world's No. 1 player 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The upset left the clay court tournament without its two top seeds after No. 2 Andy Roddick was ousted in the first round by Guillermo Canas 7-6 (7), 6-1.

After a fast start, Federer lost control of the match against Spanish clay court specialist Costa.

"I played more aggressively, that was the key," said the former French Open champion.

Two other seeds were ousted on Wednesday, including 2003 French Open finalist Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands.

Verkerk, seeded 14 in Rome, was beaten by Peruvian Luis Horna 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, while No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile lost to Russian Nikolay Davydenko, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt came from a set down to beat Italian wild card Andreas Seppi in a first round match that had been delayed by rain.

Hewitt, seeded 15th, was trailing by a set when the rain intervened Tuesday night, but recovered when play resumed to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.

On Tuesday, Andy Roddick was erratic as he committed 35 unforced errors to only 11 by the Argentine, but the American still had his chances.

In a tightly fought first-set tie break, Roddick failed to capitalise on three set points. Canas won the set when Roddick netted a shot at his feet.

Canas pulled away in the second set, breaking Roddick's serve three times. The American seemed discouraged and Canas put the match away in 1 hour and 22 minutes.

The results:

Second round: Albert Costa bt Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Luis Horna bt Martin Verkerk 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Vincent Spadea bt Hicham Arazi 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Nikolay Davydenko bt Fernando Gonzalez 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

First round: Lleyton Hewitt bt Andreas Seppi 5-7, 7-5, 6-3; Nicolas Massu bt Massimo Dell'Acqua 6-7 (9), 7-5, 6-3; Filippo Volandri bt Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 0-6, 6-0; Martin Verkerk bt Todd Martin 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Hicham Arazi bt Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-1, 6-3; Guillermo Canas bt Andy Roddick 7-6 (7), 6-1; Sebastien Grosjean bt Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-2; Ivan Ljubicic bt Arnaud Clement 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (3); Max Mirnyi bt Stefan Koubek 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Nikolay Davydenko bt Sargis Sargisian 6-2, 6-2; Irakli Labadze bt Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-2; Marat Safin bt Stefano Pescosolido 6-4, 6-3; Tommy Robredo bt Mark Philippoussis 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

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