MMMM 2006 : 2006


Roddick rolls over Grosjean to kick-start wet Madrid week

Andy Roddick clocked his eighth consecutive career victory over France's Sebastien Grosjean Tuesday to begin with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) victory into the third round of the Madrid Masters Tuesday.


Roddick, seeded sixth, fired over the last of his nine aces to clinch the win in 87 minutes with 34 winners. He never faced a break point.

The American said he was feeling his body as a long season nears the end: "My knees are hurting a bit, it's just a bit of tendinitis, nothing serious.

"I've had to for years and years. At the end of the year after a long schedule, you have your good days and your bad days.

"I don't know that today was great" Watching from the box was Roddick's coach Jimmy Connors, keen to help his man into next month's season-ending Masters Cup event in
Shanghai.

Roddick, like all 16 seeds, received a bye in the first round at the Madrid arena, which was plagued by a roof leak in the morning which delayed the start of play.

In a dramatic start to the programme, free-spirit Frenchman Gael Monfils paid the price for a bit of clowning around as he injured his right ankle after landing badly in a pointless post-point leap.

The 20-year-old Monfils, ranked 34th, was taken off in a
wheelchair as Domink Harbaty advanced into the second round 3-6, 2-2. He was undergoing tests at hospital before returning to the tennis for a doping test.

The lanky Monfils, built like a basketball player, crashed in pain as a pair of high, skipping leaps across the back of the court towards the sidelines ended badly.

After rolling his ankle, Monfils managed to limp back to the bench, where trainer Bill Norris took one look at the problem and called for a wheelchair.

The match had begin under a bad sign, with a leak in the roof over the court delaying the start of first round play at the Madrid arena.

Hrbaty won in 52 minutes, with Monfils dominating on serve with nine aces. According to ATP calculations, Roddick needs to win the Madridd event in order to qualify for Shanghai, a tall order in a field headed by Roger Federer and defending champion Rafael Nadal.

Roddick improved hie modest Madrid record to 2-3. He came to Spain after achieving the Vienna semi-finals last weekend.

Seventh seed Tommy Robredo earned an opening victory, defeating Argentine Juan Chela 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3).

Robredo is also chasing a Shanghai spot, standing provisional in the eight-man field.



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