On To Greener Pastures

On a hot and humid day in Paris, the number two seed, Andy Roddick succumbed to the same fate as his fellow American, James Blake, as both players suffered defeat after a two sets to love lead. Jose Acasuso, from Argentina, proved too much for Andy, as he rallied to victory 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 8-6.

The match, lasting just over three hours, was nothing short of dramatic. In the first two sets Andy demonstrated some fantastic claycourt play, with defensive rallys, and even the dedication to go on and win a point after dropping his racquet mid-point.

However, the Argentine showed tremendous spirit to push the match to the distance. Both players struggled in the fifth set, as the trainer attended both their needs. However it was Andy who clinched an early break. Acasuso then hit what could potentially be called a purple patch as a stunning backhand winner pulled back the break. At 6-6, Acasuso raised his level once again to hit some more superb backhands, and despite some strong resilience from Andy, Acasuso was able to serve out the match.

Andy was incredibly gracious in defeat, climbing over the net to help the Argentine up, who had fallen on his back in celebration. Next stop on Andy’s tour is Queen’s Club, London, for the commencement of the grass court season. Andy has much reason to be optimistic about his chances on grass, following a superb season last year, which saw him take the title at Queens and finish runner-up at Wimbledon.