Andy Roddick Flattens Frenchman at US Open

Written by: Global Chick on 5th September 2011

Andy Roddick Flattens Frenchman at US Open

Andy Roddick of the US hits a return to Julien Benneteau of France during their third round match on the seventh day of the 2011 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA 04 September 2011. The US Open runs through 11 September 2011. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Former US Open Champion American Andy Roddick advanced into the fourth round today after a superb win over French wildcard Julien Benneteau in straight sets 6-1 6-4 7-6 (5).

In today’s match on Arthur Ashe stadium things were going really well for the American in the first set, which he only need 25 minutes to finish. In the second set Benneteau was putting up a bit of a fight and even had a break point at Roddick’s serve at 3-2 but failed to convert it. Roddick broke the French player in the seventh game and took the set 6-4. The third set went to a tiebreaker with either player wanting to lose serve. The former world number one took a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker but was put to the test when Benneteau came back to 5-4. Roddick proved too strong and took the tiebreaker and the match.

Julien Benneteau is ranked No. 83 on the singles ranking but the Frenchman is an experienced player and he reached the final of the Winston Salem Open the week before US Open. He had to qualify and win three matches before he won another five matches in the main draw before losing in the final to John Isner in three sets.

Andy Roddick faces solid Spanish player David Ferrer in the round of 16. Ferrer beat Germany’s Florian Mayer in straight sets today 6-1 6-2 7-6 (2). The world number five has beaten Roddick five times and lost three. The most recent meeting between the two was in the Davis Cup quarterfinal this year when Ferrer won in three sets. Before the Davis Cup match the two have not played since Indian Wells in 2009 when Roddick claimed the match.

In 2003 were the last time four American players, Andre Agassi, Taylor Dent, Todd Martin and Andy Roddick reached the round of 16 at the US Open. It was also the year Roddick won the title at Flushing Meadows.

Roddick is happy about the state of American tennis, “There’s a healthy jealousy going on right now, which is good. If Donald Young sees Ryan Harrison play well in the summer, he’s going to not want to fall behind. I think that’s what you saw with that golden generation is that they were able to push each other. It’s a great thing to see. You just feel there’s a little bit of momentum. There is a bit of a snowball effect at times if it goes the right way. Seems like there’s some of that right now.