During the third set at Arthur Ashe Stadium Wednesday night, the ninth-seeded Roddick spiked his racket in frustration, but that was nothing compared with what was to follow in his 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (4) loss in the second round of the U.S. Open.
Serving to stay in the third, Roddick was called for a foot fault on his first serve. Told by the lineswoman that the call was for dragging his right foot, a doubtful Roddick asked the chair umpire, "Have you ever seen me move my right foot in my career?"
"Not in my matches," Enrik Molina replied. "But she called it." And the call stood.
The call actually was right - it was the lineswoman's explanation that was wrong. Roddick hopped forward and put his left foot on the line as he served.
"I just anticipate my umpires to know the difference between my left foot and right foot. . . . The inflexibility, if they'd just say, 'It was your left foot,' I would've stopped. . . . The truth I couldn't get her to acknowledge it - the need of common sense was unbelievable to me."Roddick didn't match the expletive-laden pressure that Serena Williams hurled at a lineswoman over a foot-fault call a year ago, but he did carry on his complaints through the remainder of the game, and again before going to the locker room to change his shorts between sets. And even though Roddick fought heroically in the fourth set, Tipsarevic held his own and prevailed in the tiebreaker.
Roddick screamed at one point during his go on, which he carried on while falling behind love-40, and while rallying to win the game. But Tipsarevic held his serve to close out the set, then closed it out in the fourth, and Roddick's next call is for a cab to the airport.
He'll go with supermodel wife Brooklyn Decker on his arm, and the United States' best hopes to win the tournament packed in his racket bag. Roddick, who won his only Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2003 (the last by any American), hasn't been past the quarterfinals since 2006. He lost in the first round in 2005 and in the third round last year, and now exits in the round of 64.
The highest remaining American seed, No. 18 John Isner, advanced Wednesday with a straight-sets win over Frederico Gil, and although he famously played in the longest match in history at this year's Wimbledon, he has won just one tournament in his career and has never been past the round of 16 at a Grand Slam.
Tipsarevic, whose left arm says, "Beauty will save the world," a quote from Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot," moves on to face No. 17 Gael Monfils in the third round.
It's been a tough season for Roddick, who hasn't been to the final of an event since he won the Miami Masters in March, and lost to unheralded Yen-Hsun Lu in the round of 16 at Wimbledon. He's fought mononucleosis, and while he was still able to crank his serve up as high as 142 miles an hour Wednesday night, it was telling that he wasn't firing aces. In a category that Roddick usually dominates, his edge was only one, 17-16. Tipsarevic had a 66-40 edge in winners, as Roddick's usually strong forehand was nowhere to be seen.Roddick had just four forehand winners, compared to 21 for Tipsarevic.
"He used to be known as so dangerous with the forehand," Tipsarevic said. "He needs to be more aggressive. He needs to go for more with his forehand. I'm not here to give tips, but he needs to change something in order to win a Grand Slam again."
Tipsarevic, playing in his seventh career U.S. Open, is in the third round for the first time. He has never been past the round of 16 in any Grand Slam event.
Tipsarevic had his ankle taped before he served out the second set, and again before he served down 2-1 in the fourth. But Roddick, who had his pinkie taped between the second and third sets, was unable to take advantage and make Tipsarevic move around.
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