Roddick beats Ginepri to reach Lyon quarterfinals
LYON, France -- Top-seeded Andy Roddick beat fellow American Robby Ginepri 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) on Thursday to set up a quarterfinal against big-serving Robin Soderling at the Lyon Grand Prix.
Roddick had 26 aces and won 80 percent of the points on his first serve, but the 2003 U.S. Open champion missed five chances to break Ginepri in the second set, including at 5-5.
In the tiebreak, Roddick was able to convert his first match point.
Roddick still hopes to qualify for next month's season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, China. Three of eight berths remain open, and Roddick, who started this week in sixth place, was keen to boost his chances at a tournament he won in 2005.
The seventh-seeded Soderling advanced with a crushing 6-1, 6-2 win over Christophe Rochus of Belgium. Rochus failed to win a single point on the Swede's first serve in the opening set.
Soderling had 20 aces -- compared to just one for Rochus -- and broke him twice in each set. Soderling saved the only break point he faced in the second set.
Steve Darcis of Belgium upset second-seeded Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5), and fourth-seeded Gilles Simon of France outlasted Andreas Seppi 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4. Also advancing, third-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat French veteran Fabrice Santoro 6-2, 5-7, 6-3; and Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain beat No. 8 Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 6-4, 6-1.
"I didn't play very well. The end of the season is long and tough, and I'm struggling to move about the court," Gasquet said. "My knee and my elbow are hurting."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
