Roddick Euro Clay Struggles Continue at ATP Rome

While former No. 1 Andy Roddick has thrived on the claycourts in Houston, the red dirt in Europe, with its Spaniard- and Argentine-packed draws, have been a different story.

Roddick made a quick exit at the Masters Series-Rome Tuesday, losing to Argentine Guillermo Canas 7-6(7), 6-1 in an error-filled display by the American.

"I knew I had my chances, I already defeated (Roddick) in Toronto," Canas said. "I knew I had to play my serving games at best and that I had to profit from the fact that his serve is slower than usual (on clay)."

Roddick blew three set points in the first set, then double faulted to drop his serve in the first game of the second set, and it was warm-up-the-bus from that point.

"I wasn't concentrating for one reason or another, I'm not sure," Roddick said. "I just went out there, I was rushing things. I definitely don't think I put forth my best effort today, so it's a little disappointing...I had a tennis match to play and, you know, I didn't play it. I had plenty of days to get ready and kind of get myself mentally ready, and I didn't do that. That's pretty much the bottom line."

Roddick has never surpassed the third round at any of the ATP Masters Series claycourt events at Monte Carlo, Rome, or Hamburg. Last year Roddick lost in the first round at Monte Carlo, and the second round at Rome and Hamburg. This year Roddick skipped the Monte Carlo stop, and it remains to be seen whether he now pulls stakes and skips Hamburg next week.

One other seed was knocked out Tuesday when Barcelona winner Tommy Robredo ground up No. 9 seed Mark Philippoussis in three sets, continuing the Aussie's miserable 2004 campaign.

Seeded winners on the day were (1)Roger Federer (d. Bjorkman), (7)Sebastien Grosjean (d. F.Lopez), (8)Nicolas Massu (d. (Q)Dell'Acqua in three), (12)Jiri Novak (d. Blake 6-1 in the third, with the American again going into third-set fold mode), and (14)Martin "Berzerk" Verkerk (d. T.Martin in three). No. 15 seed Lleyton Hewitt trailed Italian wildcard Andreas Seppi 5-7, 3-3 when rain halted play late Tuesday night.

Other un-seeds into the second round were Filippo Volandi (d. Kiefer 6-0 in the third, with dancing in the streets in Rome for an Italian actually winning a match), former No. 1 Marat Safin (d. Pescosolido), defending champ Felix Mantilla (d. Ginepri 6-0 in the third, winning the last 12 games, saving four match points), Croat Ivan Ljubicic (d. Clement 7-6 in the third), Georgia's (the country, stupid, not the state) Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze (d. Gaudio, too much Barcelona final from Sunday for the Argentine), Max "The Beast" Mirnyi (d. (LL)Koubek), Peru's Luis "Me So" Horna (d. Youzhny 7-6 in the third, saving two match points), Morocco's Hicham Arazi (d. Ramirez Hidalgo), and Munich winner Nikolay Davydenko (d. Sargsian).

On court Wedneday are (15)Hewitt vs. (WC)Seppi (to finish), (1)Federer vs. Costa (Fed leads 2-1, first meeting on dirt), (11)Schalken vs. Volandri, Safin vs. (10)Srichaphan (tied 1-1), (6)Moya vs. Ljubicic (Loob leads 3-1), Davydenko vs. (13)Gonzo, Stepanek vs. (4)Henman, Saretta vs. (5)Nalbandian, (15)Hewitt or (WC)Seppi vs. Pavel, Spadea vs. Arazi, (Q)Ferrer vs. (7)Grosjean, (Q)"Dr." Ivo Karlovic vs. Robredo, Luis "Me So" Horna vs. (14)Berzerk, Zabaleta vs. Mantilla (Mantilla leads 6-4), (12)Novak vs. The Beast, (8)Massu vs. Freak Show, Sanchez vs. Canas, and a 2003 Masters Cup Doubles rematch in (4)Knowles/Nestor vs. Argentines Etlis/Rodriguez.