RODDICK, SAFINA JOIN CASUALTY LIST

New York: Flushing Meadows shook with an explosion of deafening roars on Saturday as American sensations John Isner and Melanie Oudin sent former champions Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova spinning out of the US Open. On a day when Russian world No. 1 Dinara Safina’s luck and patience finally ran out in the third round, Isner and Oudin sparked off celebrations in their hometown of Georgia after showing off their “bulldog” spirit to full effect. Big-serving Roddick came face-to-face with a 2.06-meter-tall (6-foot-9) player he had mentored up the ranks and as a way of thanks Isner boomed in 38 aces to trample the fifth seed 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6. “I’m happy for him. I’m mad that obviously it came at my expense,” summed up Roddick who had hopes of going all the way this year following his runnerup finish at Wimbledon. While 55th-ranked Isner was delighted to pull off the biggest shock of the men’s draw, Oudin followed up her win over world No. 4 Elena Dementieva by thumping another Russian. The 17-year-old Oudin had the honour of ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ exchange earlier this week and her stock rose even higher on Saturday as she carved out a heartpounding 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over 29th seed Sharapova. As some 23,000 fans hollered inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, those who could not cram into centre court watched transfixed on the giant TV screen in the main fountain plaza. When Oudin sealed the three-hour triumph by belting a forehand winner, spectators inside and outside the arena leapt to their feet to give her a standing ovation. Oudin simply looked dazed as she dropped her racket before raising her weary arms to acknowledge the cheers. “I just kept fighting as hard as I could. I can’t believe it,” the 70thranked Oudin gasped in a courtside interview as she tried to blink back tears. “I just had a blast playing there today,” added Oudin, who will aim to bump another Russian, Nadia Petrova, in the last 16. Isner summed up her feat as: “She’s so gutsy. She plays with her heart out there. We really kind of have the same attributes. We got a little Bulldog in us. We fight really well.” Safina has long been famed for her fighting spirit and on many occasions has come from match point down to stifle her opponents. But on Saturday, 72nd-ranked Czech teenager Petra Kvitova took a leaf out of Safina’s Houdini manual and saved three match points before stamping her mark in New York with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 win as the clock struck 12.47am local time.
Source : Reuters