The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Roddick overpowers Canas, runs into Robredo

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Tuesday, Sep 07, 2004

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Sport - Tennis

Roddick overpowers Canas, runs into Robredo

TOO GOOD: Andy Roddick raced past Guillermo Canas to enter the fourth round at the U.S. Open. — AP

NEW YORK, SEPT. 6. Serena Williams left her opponent swinging at shadows, then Andy Roddick finished his work with a 217 kph fast ball.

Roddick and Williams easily aced their latest tests in the U.S. Open on Sunday, serving notice that they are just warming up.

Roddick overpowered Guillermo Canas 6-1, 6-3, 6-3, reaching the fourth round with an unbeatable serve and unbelievable ratio: 21 aces, zero double-faults.

``His serve is difficult. Well, almost impossible,'' Canas said.

In fact, Canas' top first serve was 202 kph; Roddick's average was 207 kph.

``I had a game plan, I executed it. I took it to him,'' said Roddick, who next plays No. 18 Tommy Robredo. ``I really don't have a magical explanation for it.''

Impressive statistics

Williams was almost as impressive: 12 aces and only one double-fault in a 6-4, 6-2 romp over Patty Schnyder. After it was over, Schnyder sounded a lot like Canas.

``When she serves that well, I will never be able to make a break,'' she said. ``If she serves like this, it's hard for anybody.''

The victory sent Williams into the quarterfinals against a most familiar opponent, Jennifer Capriati.

Williams is 10-6 lifetime against Capriati, including 3-3 in Grand Slam events. Capriati beat Williams in the French Open quarterfinals this year, then lost to her in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

``I like playing Jennifer a lot, I really do,'' Williams said. ``We always play each other. We really know each other's games.''

Williams showed no ill effects from the painful left knee that forced her to pull out of last month's Olympics. The two-time Open champion had surgery in August 2003, and missed 8-1/2 months recuperating.

In fact, she said a few doctors advised her to skip this tournament.

``My knee is doing pretty good right now. I haven't had any worries,'' she said. ``I'm just excited to be here because I wasn't supposed to come.''

The six-time Grand Slam winner wore basic black. Earlier in the week, she attracted quite a bit of attention with black, form-fitting shorts and a studded, tight tank top — she warmed up that day with black, knee-high boots.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell was on hand to watch Williams. They have gone shopping together in Los Angeles.

``She'd always tell me what I should wear. I'd try on some different outfits. She's like, `wear that one,''' Williams said.

Long rally

Capriati rallied in the first set and went on to beat No. 12 Ai Sugiyama 7-5, 6-2. Staving off a set point by winning an 18-stroke exchange, Capriati won the final four games.

Next up, Serena.

``I've played her at her best. I've played her at her worst,'' Capriati said. ``I've played her at my best, me at my worst. I can just only worry about myself, really.''

Most unusual match

Lleyton Hewitt and Amelie Mauresmo were among the other winners as the first week at Flushing Meadows wrapped up.

In perhaps the most unusual match of the day, sixth-seeded Elena Dementieva beat No. 10 Vera Zvonareva 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match-up of Russians.

Zvonareva cried between points, hit herself in the foot with her racquet and berated herself. Even for someone prone to outbursts, it was a bit out of control.

``You wouldn't see any fourth-round matches of a Grand Slam not emotional,'' the 19-year-old Zvonareva said. ``When I'm comfortable with my tennis, when I know what I'm doing on the court and when I play for every ball, then I don't get like this.''

Hewitt, the 2001 Open champion, won all 16 points on his serve in the first set and cruised past Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Michael Llodra topped Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 and Tomas Berdych beat Mikhail Youzhny 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Dementieva advanced to face No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo, who beat No. 19 Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-2.

At 25, Mauresmo has reached the quarterfinals in the previous seven major tournaments she has played in. But she is still looking for her first Grand Slam championship.

``That doesn't worry me at all,'' she said. ``I think I'm feeling confident that it's going to come.''

Haas through

Germany's Tommy Haas continued his impressive comeback from injury with a 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 win over Brazilian qualifier Ricardo Mello to reach the fourth round.

The former world No. 2, who only returned to the tour in February after more than 16 months off following two shoulder operations, powered his way through to a last sixteen meeting with Czech Tomas Berdych who beat Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

"I served really well today," Haas said. "I think I was only broken once, and hit 11 aces, so my serve is in a good position right now."

Mello had beaten 17th seed Juan Ignacio Chela in round one but was unable to cope with the power of Haas. From the moment he broke Mello's serve in the sixth game of the match on his way to taking the first set, the German was always in control. One break was enough to give him the second set and, though he fell behind to an early break in the third, Haas hit back immediately and then clinched a break in the 11th game of the third before serving out for victory. — AP

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