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Another early exit for Roddick at French Open


Paris / AFP
05/27/2005

Christopher Simon /AFP/Getty Images
Argentinian Jose Acasuso (R) is congratulated by US Andy Roddick at the end of their match for the second round match of the tennis French Open at Roland Garros, 26 May 2005 in Paris.
Second seed Andy Roddick of the United States crashed out of the French Open on Thursday losing 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-8 to unseeded Jose Acasuso of Argentina in a marathon second round tie.

Roddick had looked to be coasting towards a victory after comfortably pocketing the opening two sets, but once again he proved to be at his most vulnerable on the slow Roland Garros claycourts.

It was the second straight year he has gone out in five sets in the second round and in five visits to Roland Garros he has yet to make it to the second week.

His defeat also meant that there will be no American men in the third round pf the Paris Grand Slam tournament for only the second time after nine had started the competition.
“I felt fine out there and was playing really well, but I let it slip,” said Roddick.
“I was as well prepared as ever coming in here but clay takes away a lot of my strengths and plays into the hands of other guys’ strengths.

“But I enjoy the challenge of it. Maybe I am going to have a run some time.”
Up against out-and-out baseliner Acasuso, the 22-year-old Roddick showed at first that he is striving to adapt his go-for-bust style of play to the rigours of the surface.

Dominating as usual behind his big serve, Roddick was happy to be drawn into long rallies - one point had 29 shots - when the South American was serving and he quickly grafted out a one set lead.

The second set went with serve until the seventh game when Roddick again stepped up the pace to break the Acasuso serve to love.
That was all the American needed to go two sets up and the third set followed a similar pattern with no breaks of serve until the 10th game with Acasuso 5-4 ahead.

This time it was the Argentinian, on his fourth visit to Roland Garros, who pounced setting up two set points on Roddick’s serve. He cashed in on the second one as a Roddick forehand flew inches wide.
A single break of serve to lead 5-3 was enough to allow Acasuso to take the tie into a fifth set.

Roddick saved a break point in the opening game of the decider and squandered two of his own in the next as Acasuso continued to dominate the exchanges.
The Argentinian needed treatment to a painful thigh muscle after Roddick took a 2-1 lead but he still looked in some difficulty serving in the following game which Roddick won to go 3-1 up.

But the American failed to capitalize, dropping his own serve immediately after. He then needed treatment himself to alleviate cramping in his calf muscles.
Both players looked to be tiring but it was Acasuso who was taking the initiatives breaking Roddick’s serve to lead 7-6 and then clinching the match in the following game with a rasping forehand past the American.
Ranked 62nd in the world Acasuso next takes on Filippo Volandri of Italy for a place in the last 16.