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| Andy Roddick 373 x 374 |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Andy Roddick slowed down his play after straining his back late in the match and held on for a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2 victory Thursday night over Scott Oudsema in the Countrywide Classic.
The top-seeded Roddick apparently hurt himself about midway through the final set and was in obvious pain. He built a 4-1 lead, then began pacing himself, not serving as hard as before, and not even bothering to chase after some shots.
He still was able to keep the ball in play until Oudsema, playing only his second ATP event, eventually hit out or into the net.
Oudsema, a 20-year-old from Kalamazoo, Mich., who is ranked 390th, played well in the first set, matching fast serves and powerful groundstrokes with Roddick, ranked 10th and a former No. 1.
But Oudsema began hitting the ball long or wide or into the net as Roddick took command of the second set. The 23-year-old Roddick kept the pressure on, opened a quick lead in the third set, then was able to hang and win the second-round match.
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| Ginepri 225 wide |
Earlier, Robby Ginepri outlasted tour journeyman Kenneth Carlsen 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals.
The 23-year-old Ginepri, beaten by Roddick in last week's semifinals at Indianapolis, finally wore down Carlsen, a Dane 10 years his senior.
No. 3 seed Ginepri next will face No. 7 Dominik Hrbaty, who defeated Lars Burgsmuller 7-5, 6-4. No. 8 seed Dmitry Tursunov also advanced to the quarterfinals for the fifth time this year, downing wild card Sam Querrey, an 18-year-old from nearby Thousand Oaks, Calif., 7-5, 6-4.
Ginepri, winning for only the 11th time in 28 matches this year, had difficulty closing out against Carlsen after building a 4-1 lead in the third set.
But Carlsen, able to keep the ball in play for most of the match while waiting for Ginepri to make a mistake, hit a backhand long, then two shots into the net on the final three points.
"I had to stay in there against Kenneth. He has a great serve, and I just hung in there," said Ginepri, who withstood 18 aces by the left-hander.
Ginepri believes he's getting his game back after struggling much of this year.
"I feel like I'm on the right track," he said.
Tursunov said Querrey has potential, but needs experience.
"My experience is one reason I won today," said the 23-year-old Russian ranked No. 33 in the world.
Querrey said he's been having fun since he joined the tour, but "I'd be having more fun if I'd won today."
He's received some advice from Roddick, among others.
Querrey said Roddick invited him to spend a week at his home in Texas, and "We hung out, played tennis a couple of hours a day, went to dinner together. He's really a nice guy, generous."