Andy Roddick has withdrawn from next week’s Madrid Open and is doubtful for Roland Garros.

Tournament organisers have announced that the former world number one has a hamstring injury and has also pulled out for the Rome Masters later this month. Given the Italian tournament starts less than a fortnight before the French Open is due to get under way, the American is facing a race against time to be fit enough to compete in Paris. The three-time Wimbledon runner-up is likely to be more concerned about regaining full fitness in time for the grasscourt season as he has rarely impressed on the clay, his big serve being nullified by the slow surface. Roddick’s compatriot Mardy Fish has also withdrawn from the Madrid event. The pair will be replaced by Dutchman Robin Haase and Olivier Rochus, of Belgium, in the main draw which starts on Sunday.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Briton Andy Murray are all due to compete on the new blue clay surface at the Caja Magica.

Andy Roddick produced the shock of the Sony Ericsson Open by knocking Roger Federer out with a 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-4 win.

It was just Roddick’s third win in 24 career meetings against Federer and it ended the Swiss’ run of 16 straight victories. The win was all the more remarkable given Federer seemed to have found his best form in the second set after losing a first-set tie-break. He broke Roddick three times in the second and was on course to do so again in the start of the fourth, but the American saved four break points before going on to take the set. And Roddick admitted: “The game that I played for the break in the third set was one of the best return games I’ve ever played. I think I hit four forehand winners. “I played well tonight and served really well there at the end.”

Federer, though, believes his recent run of matches have taken their toll on him. “I came out a bit flat today, I was a bit tired, I guess, but it was more mental than physical,” Federer said. “That’s maybe 30 matches for the season. I am just feeling like it’s taken its toll a bit, which is normal. “But I’ve played more tired in the past, so this was not the most tired I have ever been, but you just start to feel it a bit. I didn’t just get the lucky break today that I got in Indian Wells.”

Meanwhile there were also wins for Juan Martin Del Potro and Juan Monaco.

Surprise guest joins in the fun at MSG on Monday!

Four of tennis’ biggest names took the court at Madison Square Garden on Monday for the mix of playfulness and intense play that comes with exhibitions. With Wozniacki a game away from losing 6-3, 6-4 to Sharapova, she invited her boyfriend onto the court a day after the golfer won the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to ascend to No. 1 in the world for the first time.

“He wasn’t too pleased with me,” Wozniacki said later. In jeans and a sweater, McIlroy showed off a one-handed backhand, and Sharapova hit his lob wide. Asked if he was surprised to win the point, McIlroy said with a smile: “I’ve won a few off Caroline.”

Early in Roddick’s 7-5, 7-6 (7) win over Federer, some smart-aleck fans yelled, “Let’s go, Rafa!” So Roddick played along by pushing up his sleeves and switching his racket to his left hand. He wound up playing the point right-handed, but grunted with every shot and celebrated winning the point with an exuberant fist pump that would have made Nadal proud. Roddick, a self-described “massive” sports fan, was playing in the Garden for the first time during the BNP Paribas Showdown. He remembers Michael Jordan’s big games there, Reggie Miller trash-talking with Spike Lee. “To be able to play here where so much history has happened, so many events have happened in every area of entertainment, it was a real special experience for me,” he said. Coming back from a right hamstring and right ankle injury, Roddick has fallen to No. 31 in the world. “It was a great atmosphere,” he said. “I really enjoyed myself and that led to me playing well. Hopefully I can use this a little bit.”

When Roddick failed to match Federer’s between-the-legs shot on one point, he threw his racket then winced when it almost hit a ball girl. Roddick was 2-21 in his career against Federer. “I heard Andy was struggling a little bit so it’s good see him play so well and hopefully make a run again into the top 10,” the third-ranked Federer said.

Wozniacki has been ranked No. 1 for 67 weeks in her career, though she’s currently down to No. 4. McIlroy knows he’ll need to stay on top for “another couple of years” to catch his girlfriend in that stat. In between taking photos with fans after the match, McIlroy said, “It’s nice to take a little break from golf.” The couple plans to meet up in Miami before he plays a World Golf Championship event there and she heads to Indian Wells, Calif. McIlroy stopped signing autographs for a moment to listen to Wozniacki’s on-court interview. “He’s 100 percent against Maria,” she told the crowd. Asked earlier Monday whether she sent him flowers after his win Sunday, Wozniacki said, “Well, I don’t want his head to become too big, so, um, no.” Sharapova and Wozniacki got into the spirit of the exhibition at times: exchanging smiles after a well-played rally, surrendering a point to make up for a missed call, dancing with fans before the final game. The second-ranked Sharapova wasn’t conserving energy, though. After breaking back to 4-4 in the second set, she chased down a drop shot and then a lob, throwing her hands up in frustration when her shot ricocheted off the scoreboard.

 

The time has come for Andy Roddick to retire before he loses his past glory.

Andy Roddick was unceremoniously dumped out of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in the first round by Xavier Malisse. The Belgian upset the second seed as he prevailed 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 to set up a second-round clash with Benjamin Becker. The German beat Dudi Sela 6-4 6-1. Alex Bogomolov Jr was another seed eliminated in Memphis when he was beaten 1-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) by Malisse’s fellow Belgian Olivier Rochus, while sixth-seed Julian Benneteau was beaten in successive tie-breaks by Philipp Petzschner. But there were straight-sets wins for Radek Stepanek, Milos Raonic and Kevin Anderson – the third, fourth and seventh seeds – against Bobby Reynolds, Ernests Gulbis and Robby Ginepri respectively. Jurgen Melzer won a hard-fought match against Denis Istomin 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) and Pole Lukasz Kubot beat Jesse Levine 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.

A bad tempered Roddick bows out in San Jose.

Andy Roddick slammed one racket, broke another, argued with the chair umpire and shouted back at his own box. At one point, he smacked a ball high into the black curtains behind the far baseline grandstand. That was maybe the only time he hit his target. Hobbled by a fresh right ankle sprain and the troublesome hamstring that forced his retirement from last month’s Australian Open, Roddick lost to Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the SAP Open at HP Pavilion on Friday night. Roddick dropped every point in his first service game and never regained his rhythm in a maddening match that took only 76 minutes. “It would be abnormal if you weren’t frustrated,” said Roddick, who still plans to play at next week’s ATP Tour stop in Memphis. “The question is, ‘How do you figure your way through it?’ ” Roddick is still searching for the answer.

Earlier Friday, 19-year-old American Ryan Harrison moved closer to his first ATP singles title with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kutrovsky. Harrison will face defending tournament champion Milos Raonic in the semifinals today after the hard-serving Canadian defeated Kevin Anderson 7-5, 7-6 (3). Istomin plays France’s Julien Benneteau, a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 winner over Steve Darcis of Belarus.

Roddick, who had a first-round bye and injured his ankle in a three-set victory over Denis Kudla on Wednesday night, is still recovering from a slight tear in his hamstring that forced his retirement in the second round of the Australian Open. In what was supposed to be the start of his return to full strength, Roddick leaves the Bay Area more hobbled than when he arrived. “It was pretty ordinary all the way around,” said Roddick, a three-time champion in San Jose. “There’s certainly a significant gap from where I am and where I need to be.”

Milos Raonic & Andy Roddick both win in San Jose.

Andy Roddick came from a set down to overcome Denis Kudla in the second round of the SAP Open in San Jose on Wednesday. The former world number one, who is back from injury, dropped the opener on a tie-break before hitting back to win 6-7 (5/7) 7-6 (7/5) 6-4.

Third seed Milos Raonic, the defending champion, banged down 18 aces during his 6-2 7-6 (9/7) win over Tobias Kamke. Kamke had set point in the second-set breaker but could not force a decider. Raonic’s title hopes were also boosted by the withdrawal of top seed Gael Monfils, his scheduled semi-final opponent, due to a knee injury.

Rising star Ryan Harrison got through his first-round match but had to battle hard against Olivier Rochus for a 4-6 6-2 6-3 triumph. The teenager was 3-1 down in the final set, but used his serve to his advantage and turned things around with 27 aces. Sam Querrey lost his first-round fixture with Denis Istomin, taking the first set but then losing 5-7 6-3 7-5. Meanwhile, Matthew Ebden defeated Dudi Sela 6-7 (7/9) 6-2 7-6 (7/1) and fifth seed Julien Benneteau saw off Ryan Sweeting 7-6 (7/3) 7-6 (7/5).

Another American goes out as Roddick retires down 2 sets to 1.

Lleyton Hewitt has advanced to the third round of Australian Open 2012 following the retirement of Andy Roddick. With the scoreline poised at 3-6 6-3 6-4 in the Australian’s favour, Roddick pulled out of the match. The American called the trainer at 3-0 in the second set, after falling over. Hewitt next faces Milos Raonic of Canada, the 23rd seed. “I’m just happy to be out here,” Hewitt said.

The former No. 1 said he suffered a similar injury while training in December. On Thursday night in Melbourne, he suffered the injury early in the second set when he lunged awkwardly. He said he might have hyperextended the hamstring. Roddick aid he could only move at 60 to 70 percent of his ability and could not get proper extension. “He’s a tough guy to play, Roddick said. “You can try to ham and egg it against a lot of guys. But he’s really intelligent. He knew what was going on. Then you’re out there and you’re wondering, listen, even if this goes your way, you’re not going to play in two days. So it’s a miserable, terrible thing being out there compromised like that. It really sucks.” The 2003 U.S. Open champion says he hopes to return at the tournament in San Jose in three weeks’ time. He will not play Davis Cup against Switzerland in early February, but said he had no real plans of playing anyway.

 

10th Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Tourney set for this weekend.

Bahamian tennis star Mark Knowles is pleased to announce the annual Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational will be held on 1-4 December 2011 at the Atlantis Resort & Casino by Presenting Sponsor, MDC-Partners, and organized by the Mark Knowles Management Group (MKMG).

This year’s featured players are Andy Roddick, Xavier Malisse, and Sabine Lisicki with some additional stars to be announced at a later date. The organizers plan to hold a Pro/Am doubles tournament for Platinum sponsors, a Pro Exhibition and an opportunity for top Bahamian junior tennis players to interact with the visiting professionals.

The Mark Knowles Celebrity Invitational was established in 2001, its mission to raise funds supporting a range of local children’s charities on the islands. Past beneficiaries have included The Sassoon Pediatric Heart Foundation, The Cancer Society, The Association of the Physically Disabled, The Children’s Emergency Hospital, The Boy Scouts of Bahamas, The Special Olympics and scholarships for promising junior tennis players. Through the generous support of sponsors, fellow tennis players and of course, the fans, proceeds have saved lives and provided important opportunities for a number of individuals. 2010 marked the tenth anniversary of the event and pushed total contributions to over $650,000. Proceeds enabled Knowles to endow a local hospital with its first children’s heart defibrillator – in the past, child cardiac arrest patients had to rely on the usage of an adult defibrillator. Previous projects have included emergency heart surgery for a baby girl, 12 days in age; the remodeling of cancer recovery rooms; and funding for a Special Olympics tennis player, who recently won a medal at the World Games.

 

 

 

Andy Murray powered into the Paris Masters quarter-finals with a stunning straight-sets demolition of Andy Roddick.

The British number one remains on course for a fourth successive title after easing to a 6-2 6-2 victory in the French capital. Murray, champion in Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai, is now enjoying a career-best 18-match unbeaten run. Murray broke Roddick’s once unrivalled serve twice in both sets, hitting 27 winners along the way to book a last-eight showdown with either Janko Tipsarevic or Tomas Berdych. The 24-year-old set the tone when he broke Roddick’s serve in the first game before holding his own serve. He continued to apply pressure on the American’s serve and produced a stunning backhand to earn three break points in game seven, and duly converted one to go 5-2 up.

Murray, who also crushed the American for the loss of just four games at Queen’s Club in the summer, wrapped up the first set in style with another crisp winner as Roddick seemed to have few answers to the one-way traffic. Things went from bad to worse for A-Rod when Murray immediately broke his serve in the second set before holding serve in the second game. Roddick vented his frustration to umpire Mohamed Lahyani by destroying his racket, earning a code violation for racket abuse as a result, as Murray won the next two games to take a 4-0 lead in the second set. The 29-year-old from Texas then dug in and held serve to get himself on the scoreboard, but Murray hit back immediately with a hold to love to put himself on the brink of victory. Roddick finally tested Murray en route to claiming his fourth game but it was too little, too late as Murray unleashed his sixth and seventh aces of the day to seal an emphatic straight-sets triumph.

Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick will play an exhibition on March 5th 2012 at the Madison Square Garden.

“Playing in Madison Square Garden has always been a dream of mine,” said Sharapova. “Everyone wants to play there at least once in their career. I look forward to coming back to New York for the Showdown.” Roddick added, “I have never had a chance to play at the Garden before and to play Roger there will make it a special night. I am really looking forward to a great event.” “Madison Square Garden has an unparalleled history of great tennis with more than 80 years featuring some of the very best in the game in a unique arena setting,” said Scott O’Neil, president, MSG Sports. “At the BNP Paribas Showdown on March 5th, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki will all grace The Garden court and entertain a very New York crowd joining the ranks of tennis greats featured at The World’s Most Famous Arena.” “Having four of the most popular tennis players of the past decade at the BNP Paribas Showdown should make for an exciting night of tennis for the New York fans. This lineup carries on the great tradition of tennis at Madison Square Garden and should form the basis for a great celebration of the sport on Tennis Night in America,” said Jerry Solomon, Executive Producer and President of StarGames. “Tennis Night in America” has annually marked the start of the tennis season in the United States and begins a month of professional events that include the BNP Paribas Open and Sony Ericsson Open. Last year Pete Sampras was the spokesman and over 700 tennis facilities across the country participated.

This amazing tennis exhibition will be played just before the hard court season begins ion the USA.