“There were a lot of factors why I should probably go, and obviously having played well there doesn’t make it any easier,” Roddick said after beating fellow American Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.
The mixing of politics and sports was a big part of Roddick’s decision to pull out of Dubai where he won his second of three titles in 2008. Roddick said he has enjoyed himself when visiting the UAE but was disappointed to see the government make a decision that reflects poorly on a great tournament.
“I don’t think you make political statements through sports,” Roddick said.
In Memphis, he will play Lleyton Hewitt, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Belgian Christophe Rochus. That sets up the first meeting of former world No. 1s in the semifinals at this event with Hewitt having won six of their first nine meetings.
But Roddick currently is ranked sixth in the world and this will be Hewitt’s first ATP semifinal since Cincinnati in August 2007 as he works back from hip surgery last August. He hasn’t beaten a top-10 player since May 2007 in Hamburg — an 0-10 stretch.
“For me, it’s about getting the matches,” Hewitt said. “I can’t emphasize it enough. I’ve got to get out there and play week in and week out, and the results will take care of themselves.”
Czech Radek Stepanek, looking for his second straight ATP Tour title, rallied back in the first-set tiebreaker Friday afternoon and beat Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina 7-6 (7), 6-4. Stepanek will meet qualifier Dudi Sela of Israel, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 winner over Russian Igor Kunitsyn, in the other semifinal.
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus needed 2 hours, 12 minutes to beat Sabine Lisicki of Germany 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) and advance to the championship of the Cellular South Cup. Azarenka will play Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Anne Keothavong of Britain in 54 minutes.
Roddick said not traveling to Dubai probably will help him prepare for Davis Cup action against Switzerland in March. In reaching his fourth straight semifinal, Roddick had to overcome an overrule in the second set.
He had the advantage in the fifth game when umpire Fergus Murphy ruled a ball out, resulting in deuce. Roddick yelled that the umpire couldn’t call a ball on the far side, then Querrey won the next two points to break Roddick’s serve and go up 3-1. Roddick was so disgusted he threw his racket in the direction of the umpire.
The umpire gave Roddick a warning, prompting Roddick to yell out that Murphy had to have “Go-Go Gadget eyes” to see far enough to overrule.
Not that Roddick, the top seed in this tournament, commented later because he didn’t want to be fined. He is in favor of all ATP World Tour 500 series events, like Memphis, having the Hawkeye replay system.
“At the end of the day, you don’t have questions about how a match was decided,” he said.
Querrey had the bigger serve with 15 aces to 11 for Roddick. But Roddick was more effective, winning 78 percent of his first serves. He broke Querrey in the ninth game of the first set and won 6-4 in 30 minutes. He kept complaining to the umpire during a changeover after going down 1-4, then fought off two break points to hold serve.
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Del Potro, ranked seventh on tour, missed the chance to close out the tiebreaker three times. He hit a forehand into the net that tied it at 7, another forehand into the net and then hit a backhand off the net and long to lose the set. Upset, he smashed his racket against the court.
“It was a very tough match,” Stepanek said. “It was very important point to the match when I won the tiebreak and broke him mentally as well.”
Stepanek came in already enjoying the best start of his career, also having won at Brisbane. He is 15-2 this year and reached the semifinals at The Racquet Club for a second straight year despite struggling a bit with his serve with six double faults.
ALSO ON THIS STORY
WTA fines Dubai organizers $300,000Sela reached the semifinals of a tournament for the second time in his career and became the first qualifier to advance to the semis in Memphis since 1977. He lost to Roddick at Beijing last September.
Kunitsyn broke Sela three times in the opening set, but Sela broke back in the first game of the second set. He held serve three games later despite trailing 0-40. Sela broke Kunitsyn twice in the third set and will try to become the first qualifier to reach the finals at this tournament.
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