Beijing, Oct 4 : Andy Roddick was eliminated in the first round of the China Open Monday, falling to South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-4, 7-5, while Caroline Wozniacki rallied from a set down to beat Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.
Roddick managed to handle Anderson's huge serve, but the sixth-seeded American struggled with his own and was broken in the seventh game to go one set down.The second set brought more of the same, and while Roddick evened things up at 5-5, Anderson's momentum carried him through to the win.
"If I break twice and don't win a set that says my serve isn't on," Roddick said. "It's unacceptable." The 29-year-old Roddick's world ranking has slipped to 15th after several early-round losses this year. But the 2003 U.S. Open champion responded tetchily when asked in his news conference on Monday how close he might be to retiring.
Roddick rolled his eyes before replying: "I think you should retire." He then got up and left the news conference, to a round of applause.
Top-ranked Wozniacki struggled at the start against another big-serving opponent, with Hradecka scoring nine aces to the Dane's two. But Wozniacki improved in the second set as the unseeded Hradecka's first serves increasingly hit the net, saving eight of 12 break points for the match."It wasn't a pretty match, but I'm through and that's what's most important," said Wozniacki, the defending champion.
Third-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic defeated Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-1, while Maria Kirilenko of Russia beat Julia Goerges of Germany 7-6 (9), 6-3.
Also, wild-card entry Zheng Jie of China outlasted Alberta Brianti of Italy 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, qualifier Virginie Razzano of France defeated Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-2, 6-3, and Tamira Paszek of Austria beat Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Unseeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia dismissed Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-2, 6-3 and Italy's Flavia Pennetta defeated China's Peng Shuai, 7-6 (6), 7-5.
In the men's tournament, Marin Cilic of Croatia defeated Chinese wild card Di Wu 6-2, 6-0, Feliciano Lopez of Spain beat Marsel Ilhan of Turkey 6-2, 7-6 (6), Fernando Verdasco of Spain downed Michael Llodra of France 6-2, 6-4, Florian Mayer of Germany beat Albert Ramos of Spain 6-2, 6-4, and Flavio Cipolla of Italy defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, 6-1, 1-6, 6-0.AP
