Original Blog Entry: Roddick, Sharapova advance

NBey6 — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:04:49 GMT

Updated: February 18, 2010, 12:06 AM ET

Roddick, Sharapova advance

Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Top-seeded Andy Roddick snapped a three-match losing streak to fellow American James Blake with a 6-3, 4-6. 7-6 (3) victory in the first round of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships on Wednesday night.

We've played so many times, and he's beaten me, that there's going to be a sense of belief that most guys ranked 60th in the world probably aren't going to have as much as he has against me, Roddick said.

Blake, actually ranked 55th, broke Roddick's serve in the 10th game of the third set to pull even at 5-5. Both then held serve sending the match to the tiebreaker.

He went up in the tiebreaker when he broke serve on the fourth point as Blake hit a backhand wide down the line. Blake would end up with three unforced errors off the backhand in the tiebreaker.

Whoever won was going to be pretty darn well-prepared for the rest of the tournament and feel good about their chances, Blake said. It's tough to swallow.

It just didn't go my way on a couple of points, Blake said of the tiebreaker. A couple of missed backhands, and he kept the pressure on me the whole time.

As usual, Roddick used a strong serve, recording 22 aces and converting 75 percent of his first serves.

I served well in the tiebreaker, Roddick said. I served smart in the tiebreaker.

Roddick, the defending champion, was the only one of the top four seeds in the tournament to make it out of the first round. No. 2 seed Fernando Verdasco lost Tuesday night.

Third-seed Radek Stepanek and Tommy Haas, the fourth seed, lost earlier Wednesday.

Haas of Germany lost to Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Haas, a three-time winner in Memphis, struggled with his service game, putting 59 percent of his first serves in play and committing eight double faults.

Stepanek to Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 7-6 (5), 7-5.

In other matches, sixth-seeded John Isner and Sam Querrey, seeded eighth, won their matches. Isner was pushed to three sets by Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4 victory, while Querrey beat fellow American Rajeev Ram 6-2, 6-3.

In the Cellular South Cup, the women's draw of the tournament, top-seeded Maria Sharapova was an easy winner in her second-round match, defeating Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States 6-1, 6-1.

Second-seeded Melanie Oudin of the United States defeated countrywoman Lilia Osterloh 6-2, 6-1, and No. 3 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia and Petra Kvitova, the fifth seed, also won.

Kanepi dropped the first set to Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic before rallying for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory. Kvitova of the Czech Republic was a straight-set winner over Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands, 6-4, 7-5.

Seventh-seeded Vania King of the United States lost to qualifier Sophia Arvidsson of Sweden 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

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