Shanghai, China (Sports Network) - World No. 1 Swiss Roger Federer and former top-ranked American star Andy Roddick were Wednesday's Red Group round- robin winners at the exclusive $3.7 million Tennis Masters Cup. Roddick has already clinched a berth in Saturday's semifinals here.
The top-seeded Federer rebounded from a Monday loss against Fernando Gonzalez by whipping fourth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-3, while a fifth- seeded Roddick improved to 2-0 this week by handling a seventh-seeded Gonzalez 6-1, 6-4 on the hardcourt at Qi Zhong Stadium. Roddick moved to 7-3 lifetime versus the Australian Open runner-up Gonzalez.
Federer got past Davydenko in 1 hour, 26 minutes with the help of four service breaks, compared to two for the Russian, while Roddick doused "Gonzo" in 1 hour, 5 minutes by winning 21 more points (59-38) than his Chilean counterpart. The massive-serving American, who fired only four aces in the big win, also broke Gonzalez three times, while the Chilean failed to record one break in the setback.
The amazing Federer is now 16-1 all-time in his Masters Cup round-robin matches and 11-0 lifetime versus Davydenko, who succumbed to the super Swiss in this year's U.S. and French Open semifinals.
Roddick currently leads the Red Group here with his 2-0 record, while Federer and Gonzalez are 1-1 and Davydenko is 0-2 and out of contention for Saturday's semis.
Federer and Roddick will clash here on Friday, while Gonzalez will take on Davydenko on Day 6.
Sixth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer leads this week's Gold Group with a perfect 2-0 record, while second-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal and eighth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet are both 1-1 and third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic has already been eliminated from semifinal contention at 0-2. Nadal is the reigning French Open champ and Wimbledon runner-up, while Djokovic was the U.S. Open runner-up to Federer in September.
The 12-time major champion Federer will finish the year at No. 1 for a fourth straight year. The sublime Swiss is the reigning U.S. Open, Wimbledon, Aussie Open and Masters Cup titlist and French Open runner-up. He defeated American James Blake in last year's finale here in Shanghai and is seeking his fourth Masters Cup title in five years.
On Thursday, Nadal will face Djokovic and Ferrer will battle Gasquet to determine the semifinalists from the Gold Group.
The Masters Cup features round-robin action for the first six days, with the top-two players from each group advancing to the semis. The lucrative final will be staged here on Sunday.
An undefeated champion, which at this point could only be Roddick or Ferrer, in Shanghai would collect over $1.5 million.
Gothenburg, Sweden (Sports Network) - Andy Roddick handled Joachim Johansson in straight sets in Friday's opening singles rubber in the Davis Cup semifinal between the United States and host Sweden.
The former world No. 1 Roddick recorded a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 victory in 1 hour, 53 minutes in a hard-serving affair on an indoor carpet at Scandinavium.
Roddick launched 30 aces at the 6-foot-6 Johansson, who countered with 23 bombs in a losing effort. The rusty Johansson, who hasn't played on the ATP since the Australian Open back in January due to ongoing shoulder problems, piled up seven double faults on his way to surrendering the first point to the formidable Americans.
The former U.S. Open champ and three-time Grand Slam runner-up Roddick is now 24-9 in his career Davis Cup singles matches.
Friday's second singles rubber will James Blake against the hosts' Thomas Johansson, who is not related to Joachim. Blake is 11-7 in his career Davis Cup singles action.
Saturday's doubles will pit the American twin Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, against a Swedish duo of Simon Aspelin and Jonas Bjorkman, while Sunday's reverse singles tentatively call for Roddick to meet Thomas Johansson and Blake to take on Joachim Johansson. Aspelin captured the U.S. Open men's doubles title, alongside Austrian Julian Knowle, earlier this month.
The winner of this best-of-five tie will face the Russia-Germany victor in the World Group final in late-November/early-December. Russia is the defending Davis Cup champ.
The United States owns a record 31 Davis Cup titles, but is currently in its longest-ever championship drought, having not hoisted the chalice since 1995. The Swedes have won the title seven times, with their last one coming back in 1998.
The Americans are 8-3 all-time against Sweden, dating back to 1946, including a quarterfinal victory in Florida in 2004. The Swedes are 3-1 versus the U.S. in their ties on home turf, including a 5-0 victory in a final right here in Gothenburg 10 years ago. Sweden also topped the Americans in the final back in 1984.
The U.S. is 2-1 versus the Swedes in the Davis Cup semifinals, but 0-1 in ones played here in Sweden.
Patrick McEnroe captains the American squad, while former tennis great Mats Wilander guides the Swedes.
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Birthday boy Andy Roddick and fourth- seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko were among Thursday's second-round winners at the 2007 U.S. Open.
Celebrating his 25th birthday, the fifth-seeded Roddick got past an injured Jose Acasuso 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in 90 minutes at Ashe Stadium, as the Argentine quit after three sets due to a left leg injury that required treatment on a few occasions on Day 4. A hobbled Acasuso uncorked 27 unforced errors before his exit.
Roddick, who fired 12 aces in his three sets against Acasuso, was last year's U.S. Open runner-up to Roger Federer and captured his lone major title here in New York four years ago.
The French Open semifinalist Davydenko dispatched oft-injured German Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour, 45 minutes. The gritty Russian broke Kiefer's serve a whopping six times and will now meet Spaniard Nicolas Almagro here on Saturday.
Ninth-seeded Czech slugger Tomas Berdych breezed into the third round with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Italian Simone Bolelli, while an upset came when Korean Hyung-Taik Lee took out 14th-seeded Argentine Guillermo Canas 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 on the grounds at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
American Donald Young advanced to the round of 32 when his scheduled opponent, 13th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet, pulled out of their match due to a fever and sore throat. The promising 18-year-old Young, who received a wild card for this particular fortnight, recorded his first career Grand Slam event victory here on Monday. The talented Gasquet was a Wimbledon semifinalist last month.
Nineteenth-seeded Brit Andy Murray needed all five sets to overcome 35-year- old Swede Jonas Bjorkman 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 on the Grandstand court, while a 28th-seeded Almagro defeated Luis Horna 6-4, 6-2, 2-1, as the Peruvian retired in the third set. Murray recently returned to the tour after being sidelined for several weeks with a wrist injury.
Spain's Fernando Verdasco vaulted past Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-0, 6-4, 6-3, while France's Sebastien Grosjean grounded Belarusian Max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-3 and Spaniard Feliciano Lopez outlasted Russian Igor Andreev 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
Shanghai, China (Sports Network) - World No. 1 Swiss Roger Federer and former top-ranked American star Andy Roddick were Wednesday's Red Group round- robin winners at the exclusive $3.7 million Tennis Masters Cup. Roddick has already clinched a berth in Saturday's semifinals here.
