American Andy Into SAP Semis

Andy Roddick met fellow American Vince Spadea at 7pm on Center Court on Friday night in the quarterfinals, and was determined to get into the semifinals and did so after after two hours, three sets, and 19 aces, 6-3, 6-7(5),6-1.Andy opened the match on his racquet, and even though he sent three aces past Spadea, he also double faulted twice and Spadea earned a break point. Re-gripping his Babolat Pure Drive, Andy held the game and turned the pressure on full blast. Andy held serve fairly easily throughout the set, and earned break points on Spadea’s early serves. Andy’s pressure and power were too much to handle and Andy broke Spadea to take the lead at 3-2. Each held serve for the remainder of the set, and Andy sailed to a 1-0 lead.

After warming up the rocket arm with 9 aces in the first set, Andy kept the momentum going and the heat on by earning the first break in the set again to take an early lead at 2-1. Andy’s earned more break chances after that, but Spadea tightened his game just enough to hold on. The momentum shifted and Spadea broke back to be neck-and-neck at 4-4, and held for a 5-4 lead. Andy fought back at 5-5, and we knew he wasn’t going down easily so they were on the road to a tiebreak. At 6-6, Spadea took a commanding 4-0 lead, and even though Andy fought back to 5-6, one set point was enough for Spadea and he took the set, 7-6 (5).

Andy was not going down without a fight and turned up his game to MAX, and broke Spadea’s first service game and held again to lead 3-0. He kept the ball soaring off his racquet and earned a double break point, but Spadea was determined to get on the board and held, 3-1. Andy easily held at 4-1, and battled it out for the break at deuce in the next game, and Andy won the battle. On his racquet at 5-1, he swung to earn triple match point and sealed the his ticket into the semifinals on the two-hour mark.

The weight of the number one seed got heavier and heavier in this determining set, and the stronger player won. Andy will be playing tomorrow night in the semifinals, and stay tuned for a match preview and everything SAP Andy.