Roddick’s big serve is missing
ranked Fabio Fognini of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4 in the third round Sunday.
“I’m trying to keep my emotions together, all the while trying to appreciate this tournament. You guys have just made it so special,” he told the fans. “I’m just enjoying it. I love this place, and I love all of you, and I’m having a blast.”
In the fourth round Tuesday, the last American man to win a Grand Slam title will face 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who needed six match points to defeat Leonardo Mayer 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (9).
Also advancing: No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic, a straight-set winner against Julien Benneteau, and No. 4 David Ferrer, who beat Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Thursday, Roddick let the world know he had decided to walk away from the sport whenever the U.S. Open ends.
The 20th-seeded Roddick certainly won’t be favored against No. 7 del Potro. But Roddick is into the fourth round for the ninth time in 13 appearances in the U.S. Open, and he’s 8-0 so far.
There were moments when Roddick appeared sluggish Sunday, and his big serve wasn’t always what it can be. Fognini, who at 5-foot-10 is four inches shorter than Roddick, wound up with more aces, 15 to 10.
But the key moment came in the second-set tiebreaker. Fognini took the first point; Roddick the rest. At 1-1, Roddick really came alive, as did the partisan crowd, when he smacked a winner and gestured vigorously. He followed that with two aces at 126 mph and 131 mph and was on his way.
There was the thirdset blip, but otherwise Roddick stayed steady, breaking Fognini twice in a row in the fourth and raising his clenched right fist after going up 4-3.
After Fognini missed a backhand return on match point, Roddick rolled his head back and raised both arms overhead, then swatted a ball into the stands. The pals then met at the net.
Roddick answered the fans’ standing ovation with his own, clapping overhead while on the middle of the court.
“It doesn’t really matter how much energy I have,” he said. “You just keep going. I’m going to give it my all here.”