Roddick easily defeats Philippoussis; Waske snaps Nadal’s winning streak
LONDON (AP) – Defending champion Andy Roddick easily beat Australia’s Mark Philippoussis 6-2, 6-4 Wednesday in the second round of the Queen’s grasscourt tournament. Philippoussis opened with three straight aces, but the second-seeded American responded with 10 aces, including one that was clocked at 151 mph. Roddick holds the world record for fastest serve at 155 mph.
“I wasn’t super-comfortable with the draw,” Roddick said. “But I felt I played about as well as I could have asked for in the first match.”
Roddick, who won the Wimbledon warmup in 2003-04, took a 3-2 lead after breaking the 1997 champion at love. A strong return then forced a backhand error to give Roddick a second break.
In a match of short rallies, the Australian failed to gain a point on Roddick’s serve in the second set.
“I felt like I lifted my percentages a lot in the second set and was putting a lot of first serves in,” Roddick said. “That put the onus on him to try to figure something out.”
Despite the easy victory, Roddick still feels that Philippoussis, the 2003 Wimbledon finalist, can be a threat when the Grand Slam tournament begins June 20.
“He’s not the outright favorite, just because he’s coming back (from injury),” he said. “But if he plays a top seed, he’s going to make them very uncomfortable because of what you have to deal with. His serve’s huge and he brings a lot to the table on this surface.”
Mario Ancic, the last player to defeat Roger Federer on grass in the opening round of Wimbledon in 2002, earned a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 win over Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic.
The young Croatian next plays 18-year-old Richard Gasquet of France, who ousted Britain’s Jamie Delgado 6-4, 6-1.
Big-serving Max Mirnyi of Belarus set up a third-round match with former champion and top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt. Mirnyi topped Italy’s Davide Sanguinetti 6-4, 6-3.
American wild card James Blake also advanced, overcoming Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-2, 6-4 to earn a meeting with Sebastien Grosjean of France.
Gerry Weber Open
HALLE, Germany – French Open champion Rafael Nadal’s 24-match winning streak was snapped when he lost in three sets to Alexander Waske on grass at the Gerry Weber Open.
In his first match since winning the French title on clay Sunday, the third-seeded Spaniard was beaten 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 by the 147th-ranked German wild card.
Nadal’s streak came entirely on clay, and his serve wasn’t as powerful on the faster surface of grass.
“I’m tired,” said Nadal, who played through a strained thigh and a blistered finger. “I need two or three days off. My fitness is not the best. When I go to the net, I am too slow. My fitness is a big part of my game.”
Waske received a standing ovation after his volley to close out the match in this key tuneup for Wimbledon, which starts June 20.
The match turned in Waske’s favor late in the second set when Nadal netted two drop shots and lost his serve.
“I played a horrible game – I played very bad all the time,” Nadal said. “I started well, but it is hard to concentrate after so many matches at the French.”
Earlier, Australian Open champion Marat Safin saved a match point before advancing when Fabrice Santoro retired with a left thigh injury in the third set. The second-seeded Russian led 3-6, 7-6 (7), 3-2.
Safin, who had lost seven of his previous eight matches against Santoro, erased the match point with Santoro up 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker.
Safin, who has been fighting a knee injury, won only his second match on grass in three years.
“It’s very painful,” he said of the knee. “On some serves I can’t jump. But I will play Wimbledon and then take a month off.”
DFS Classic
BIRMINGHAM, England – Laura Granville upset second-seeded Alicia Molik, 6-4, 6-2, in the second round of the DFS Classic.
Molik, playing her first match in 21/2 months after an inner-ear infection, was broken in the first set when she double-faulted twice to give Granville a 4-3 lead.
Molik’s ear problems hindered her vision throughout, and the 24-year-old Australian was happy just to complete the match.
“It was by no means enjoyable,” Molik said. “I came here not expecting to hit my best form. Two months ago, I didn’t think I would even be here.”
Granville advanced to face fellow American Jamea Jackson, an 18-year-old qualifier from Florida who beat 15th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-3, 6-2.
Fifth-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France edged Nathalie Grandin of South Korea 6-4, 7-5, but four other seeded players lost, bringing the total to 10 over two rounds.
Mashona Washington defeated the 11th-seeded Virginie Razzano 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Arantxa Parra Santonja beat the seventh-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5); Tamarine Tanasugarn topped ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli, and Rika Fujiwara knocked out 17th-seeded Maria Vento-Kabchi.
Golovin held off a first-set comeback by Grandin and recovered from 3-1 down in the second set.
“I like the grass very much – if you give the ball a good hit, it doesn’t come back,” Golovin said. “I just need a little more time to get used to it, and then I will be perfect for Wimbledon.”
Golovin reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year at just 16 years old.
Golovin broke in the fifth game Wednesday and held on to take the first set. Grandin then broke to lead 3-1 in the second, forcing Golovin to approach the net three times to break back in the next game.
“It was a matter of experience and on concentrating on your own game and on your own strokes,” Golovin said.
If she wins her next two matches, Golovin could meet Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova in the semifinals – a repeat of last year’s DFS Classic final.
Also, Eleni Daniilidou of Greece beat 16-year-old Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2, and former finalist Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand topped Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-0.