White Tiger
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Registered: Mar 2004
Local time: 07:37 PM
Location: The Historic City of Portsmouth, England
Posts: 2537
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Andy Murray thrilled the Centre Court crowd as he dismantled third seed Andy Roddick's game on his way to a straight-sets win at Wimbledon.
The 19-year-old Briton won 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-4 to surpass his debut effort last year and reach the fourth round.
Murray edged the first set and then took control, breaking in game 10 of the second and twice more on his way to sealing victory in the third.
He will play Sebastien Grosjean or Marcos Baghdatis in the last 16.
Murray insisted before the match that he was a heavy underdog, and the statistics backed him up.
But although Roddick has finished runner-up in the last two years and was seeded three, his form has been patchy at best and Murray won their only previous meeting in February.
The American began the match well, dominating with his huge serve but failing to convert a succession of break points.
Four went begging before Murray saved a set point with a service winner, and moments later Roddick missed a second when he volleyed wide with the open court gaping.
Roddick missed two more chances to clinch the set in game 11 and was made to regret it when Murray took an early lead in the tie-break and held on.
His confidence now soaring, Murray began to display the all-court game that has excited so many people in the last 12 months.
The sheer variety of shot-making left Roddick bewildered, as did Murray's ability to return his serve, and the American could only hang on in the second set with some crucial aces.
By game 10, the pressure became too much. Murray missed two makeable backhands on set points but finally hit one down the line on the third opportunity.
Roddick looked set to launch a comeback when he finally converted his first break point in 12 attempts in game five of the third set, but Murray stunned him by hitting back immediately.
And Roddick's resistance finally cracked in the 10th game. He saved a first match point with a blistering winner before putting a forehand long on the second.
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"there's only one way to win a war: shout, shout, and shout again!" - The Duke of Wellington ((Blackadder - Stephen Fry)) |
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07-01-2006 08:34 PM
