U.S. Open 2012: Andy Roddick still a (tennis) working man

NEW YORK — Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who announced last week that he will retire after his last match at this U.S. Open, will work at least one more day.

As the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd roared for the 20th-seeded Roddick, who had turned 30 the day he announced his impending retirement, he served a winner on his first match point. And while the crowd was applauding Roddick, Roddick was applauding back. He beat 25-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4. After Fognini’s final service return was weakly sent into the net, Roddick threw his arms up.

And Fognini, who had grumbled and mumbled during much of the match, gave Roddick a big hug at the end.

Next for Roddick in the fourth round will be 2009 U.S. Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro beat fellow Argentine Leonardo Mayer, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (9), on Sunday.

Of his impending matchup against Del Potro, Roddick said, “You know what, it doesn’t really matter how much energy I have. You just keep going. What else am I going to do?”

Advancing to the fourth round is the best Roddick has done in the major tournaments this year. He had retired with a right hamstring injury in the second round of the Australian Open; lost in the first round of the French Open; and in the third round of Wimbledon.

Those lackluster results partly played into Roddick’s decision to end his career. His goal, he said, wasn’t just to hang around ranked in the top 20 or 30. If he couldn’t contend for the biggest titles, he said he’d rather move on.

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