NEW YORK - Andy Roddick is causing quite a racket at this U.S. Open.Breaking a few of them, too.
With fans shouting encouragement from all corners of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Roddick advanced to the round of 16 by beating No. 31 Andreas Seppi 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (4) Sunday.
Always a crowd favorite at Flushing Meadows, the former champion feeds off the commotion. In a game that's often hush-hush, he actually encourages it.
"It's sports. You're supposed to go after someone. There's supposed to be tense moments. You're supposed to yell," said the eighth-seeded Roddick, who next plays No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez. "All of a sudden, if there's a net and rackets involved, you can't do that?"
Roger Federer made his point in a more silent manner.
After zinging a final, winning forehand down the line to beat Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, Federer raised his right index finger.
Federer has won every U.S. Open since Roddick's victory in 2003. He may now be seeded second, but he's sure looking like No. 1.
"That's the advantage I have. If I were to win a big tournament again, one of those Slams, whatever, right away I have the invincibility factor again, which is great for me," Federer said. "So that's what I'm working for."
Also winning third-round matches were No. 3 Novak Djokovic, No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko, No. 15 Tommy Robredo, No. 23 Igor Andreev and qualifier Gilles Muller, who rallied to beat No. 18 Nicolas Almagro 6-7 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6), 7-5.
The women's side welcomed its first four quarterfinalists: No. 2 Jelena Jankovic, No. 5 Elena Dementieva, No. 15 Patty Schnyder and No. 29 Sybille Bammer.
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal and No. 6 Andy Murray were scheduled to be in action Monday, as were No. 4 Serena Williams and No. 7 Venus Williams. If they win, the Williams sisters will play each other in the quarterfinals.
Playing with emotion and a powerful serve, Roddick usually finds a way to make some noise. And if the fans react, even better.
"If someone tosses a ball up and you yell, then I think that's a direct distraction. If it's between points, yeah, they can do whatever they want," he said. "I think as long as you're respectful of the rules of the game, have a ball."
"If I complain about anybody carrying on during a match, I'd be bordering on hypocrisy," he said.
Just as long as there's silence during play.
"We use all of our senses. ... We're trying to see a ball moving at 100-and-whatever miles an hour," Roddick said. "As long as it's in the framework of being respectful, then I'm all for it. You can do a handstand if you want."
In his previous match, Roddick smashed his racket into the court so hard that it crumpled. To Roddick, that's OK — he sees no need for tennis to have a code of conduct saying players can be admonished and penalized for such abuse.
"If a guy wants to break a bat in the dugout, he doesn't get warned. It's not hurting anyone," he said. "If it's affecting your opponent, then that's probably disrespectful, then keep it out of there. But it's my racket, not anybody else's."
Jankovic is known to show emotion on the court, too. But she's missing something that Roddick owns — a championship in a major event.
The Serbian star won her sort of split decision, beating No. 21 Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Jankovic went into her trademark splits early in the third set reaching for a shot. She lost the point and stayed splayed on the court, and fans wondered whether she'd hurt herself.
But Jankovic bounced up and easily bounded around the court, quickly finishing off her 18-year-old Danish opponent. The win kept Jankovic as one of five women with a chance to finish the year at No. 1.
"It's a goal," she said, "but I want to win a Grand Slam."
Dementieva also is looking for her first major title and got a step closer by beating Li Na 6-4, 6-1. Coming off her gold-medal win at the Olympics, she almost sounded a bit regretful.
"I'm just a little sad that the happiest day in my life already passed," she said.
Muller, the only qualifier left on the men's side, pulled his second straight rally from a two-set deficit. But Almagro provided the day's comic relief midway through his match.
In the middle of a point, Almagro grabbed a towel near the back wall to wipe his face. He then realized the ball was still in play and tried to recover, but lost the point.
Bammer beat No. 12 Marion Bartoli 7-6 (3), 0-6, 6-4 in 3 hours, 5 minutes — believed to be the longest women's match, by time, in U.S. Open history.
"I didn't even really sweat," Bammer said. "I could have played longer."
By BEN WALKER, AP National Writer
Mon Sep 1
http://news.yahoo.com
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