Roddick, Nadal Reach Fourth Round at Flushing Meadows

Second seed Rafael Nadal survived a stubborn challenge from serve and volleying South African Wesley Moodie 6-4, 7-6(5), 7-6(3) to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the first time on Sunday. Moodie made 104 net approaches but was successful just 54 per cent of the time. Nadal, who won Roland Garros and finished runner-up at Wimbledon in his two Grand Slam appearances this year, next faces veteran Czech Jiri Novak, who upset Xavier Malisse.

Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, was taken to five sets before shrugging off left-handed Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2. Free-swinging Verdasco clipped 78 winners to Roddick's 46, but his 65 unforced errors (more than double that of Roddick, and including a double fault on match point) were telling.

Roddick next plays Andre Agassi's conqueror, Benjamin Becker.

Rising Scottish star Andy Murray continued his impressive US summer with a 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over 10th seed Fernando Gonzalez. Both players hit more than 50 winners but Gonzalez made 46 unforced errors to Murray's 25.

Czech Tomas Berdych, seeded 12th, held out 23rd-seeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-7(2), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. (ATP)