The SAP Open saw Andy Roddick struggle to get a spot at the quarter finals while James Blake and Juan Martin del Potro breezed through it.
Roddick faced off against Ernest Gulbis 6-3, 7-6. This wasn’t the first time that Gulbis had the current ATP No.6 on his toes, he also gave him a hard time at the 2008 US Open.
Roddick said that he felt “it started off pretty well’. However, as the game continued, Gulbis fell into a rhythm and “started serving really well in the second set”.
26-year-old Roddick is aiming to go home with a 4th SAP title took the first set, but Gulbis matched him point for point until he eventually lost in the tiebreaker. Gulbis was so effective that at one point Roddick even tossed his racket to side in disbelief and frustration.
While Roddick was struggling, other player like Blake and del Potro were making getting into the quarter finals look easy.
Argentine del Potro beat Japanese player Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-2 without much trouble at all.
USA’s Blake also won his game with Frenchman Florent Serra 6-4, 6-3 quite easily. At the end of the game, Blake even took Serra aside and exchanged words with him about his on-court behavior.
“He was moving when I was looking at him or when I’m tossing the ball,” said Blake. “These are things I think don’t really have a place on the pro tour.”