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SAN JOSE, California: Hard-serving American Andy Roddick a serving
barrage from Chris Guccione to win 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), in a
first-round match at the 436,000 SAP Open on Wednesday.
Holder of the world’s fastest serve record
at 249 kilometers an hour (155mph), the top-seeded Roddick almost
was upstaged by the unheralded Guccione, who fired 20 aces in almost
pulling off a stunning upset.
Conversely, Roddick managed just nine aces
against the Aussie, a lucky loser who is 1-4 all-time against
players ranked in the top 10. The 22-year-old Guccione has not
beaten a top-10 player since defeating world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in
January 2007 —when the Spanish southpaw withdrew in the opening
set of their first-round match at Sydney.
Roddick, the world No. 6, advances to a
second-round matchup against Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori, who
defeated unseeded Argentine Diego Hartfield, 7-5, 6-3.
-- AFP
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