Federer Edges Agassi, Roddick Rocked in U.S. Exodus at US Open

Posted on September 10, 2004

<a href='http://www.tennis-x.com/playernews/Andy-Roddick.php' id=namelink>Andy Roddick</a>, not No. 1.Who serves bigger than Andy Roddick? Joachim Johansson does.

Roddick was caught looking in the mirror Thursday night at the US Open, frozen by a player who is bigger (by four inches), has an equally big if not bigger forehand, and a bigger serve (more aces during the Open than Roddick).

Johansson's 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4 win over the defending champ came after Andre Agassi's five-set exit to Roger Federer, leaving the US Open semifinals without an American.

For Roddick against Johansson it wasn't quite the Agassi patented "deer in the headlights" look, but Roddick looked visibly flustered as early as the first set, uneasily pacing the baseline, staring down individuals in the crowd and staring ahead in a daze during change-overs.

Perhaps attempting to show who had the bigger...ummm, racquet, Roddick stuck to his losing baseline-bashing strategy early on, coming to the net only three times through roughly the first 1-1/2 sets, futilely attempting to Babolat a player who on this night was bigger and stronger.

Roddick quickly found himself down two sets, and the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd was eerily silent.

Down 0-2 Roddick finally reached for the playbook, attacking the net to finish points and gaining an early 2-0 lead in the third set. Holding to make it 3-0, Roddick had won 15 straight points when leading at 4-1, closing the set out at then winning the fourth as Johansson started to lose his nerve.

But in the fifth set Johansson served himself out of trouble a couple times and it was Roddick who collapsed on serve, double faulting at love-30, then ending the match with a routine forehand error.

Roddick was so beside himself after the loss he ran laps around the tunnels beneath Arthur Ashe Stadium before settling into his post-match press conference.

"You don't need to analyze anything other than break points missed and break points converted," said Roddick, who threw down 34 aces in the losing effort. "I had a lot, he had a couple, but he made his. Let's give some of the credit to him. He serves out of a tree. He served better on break points than I did."

Johansson lost in the first round of the Open last year to Mardy Fish, and now finds himself in the semifinals for a first-time meeting with Lleyton Hewitt whose sister, Jaslyn, he dates.

"You can't pick your brother but you can pick your boyfriend, so I hope she'll support me," Johansson said. "Lleyton and I are good friends. I hope we'll be good friends after Saturday."

The 22-year-old Johansson didn't have New York penciled in on the second Saturday of the Open in his day planner.

"I was supposed to be playing golf with my dad in Scotland this weekend but I'll have to change my plans now."

It is the first time since 1986 that no American man reached the Open semifinals.

The world No. 1 Federer showed Thursday he's not limiting his American domination to just Roddick.

In a continuation of their rain-delayed Wednesday night quarterfinal match, Federer held off a late charge from the No. 6-seeded Agassi for a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win, advancing to the semifinals to face No. 5 seed Tim Henman.

"Hitting the ball in the dead center of the court was a great shot," Agassi said of dealing with the windy conditions. "Literally, if the ball left my racquet and was in play, it was my advantage. If the ball left his racquet and was in play, he had the advantage in the point."

When the match continued Thursday from the Wednesday rain-out, Agassi trailed 1-2 sets but came back to force the decider. Agassi's walk seemed even more duck-like during the match, perhaps an indication of his hip injury flaring up, and he appeared decidedly indecisive in the windy conditions.

"I came in here expecting to make somebody play a great match to beat me," Agassi said. "With the standard I was playing in Cincinnati and here, it was going to take the highest quality player playing great tennis. There's only so much you can do out there. You've got to just hope it sort of falls your way."

Henman, who resumed his match with No. 22 Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty with a 2-0 set lead, turned back a rally to win in four sets 6-1, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.

"Its awesome, it's a big weekend of tennis," said Henman, who entered the event with a shaky back but has seemingly gotten better with each match. "I got off to strong start in the fourth and tried to keep the points as short as possible. I thought I'd come in on everything and see if he can pass me -- that's tough to do."

It is the first US Open semifinal for Federer, Henman and Johansson, with Lleyton Hewitt playing the veteran role.

The former champ Hewitt beat Tommy Haas 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, extending his winning streak to 15 and reaching the semis for the fourth time in five years.

"That was some of the toughest conditions I've ever played in," said Hewitt, who made few unforced errors and took apart Haas with clinical precision. "But it was the same for both players, I just tried to remain positive and I thought I did that really well. It doesn't get any easier though, but I haven't put a foot wrong yet."

"He's like a wall and played terrific tennis today," Haas said. "It's unfortunate with the conditions -- it's hard enough to beat Lleyton Hewitt in normal conditions and it was very difficult today but it was the same for both of us."

Winners in the doubles semifinals were No. 3 seeds Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor (d. unseeded Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau/Nicolas Mahut) and No. 13 Leander Paes/David Rikl (d. unseeded Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal/Tommy "The R." Robredo).

On court today is the men's doubles final in No. 3 Knowles/Nestor vs. No. 13 Paes/Rikl.