USA: TENNIS - Roger Federer cruises to win, Kerber downs Venus Williams in three set battle
Record ID:
702301
USA: TENNIS - Roger Federer cruises to win, Kerber downs Venus Williams in three set battle
- Title: USA: TENNIS - Roger Federer cruises to win, Kerber downs Venus Williams in three set battle
- Date: 31st August 2012
- Summary: FLUSHING MEADOWS, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES. (AUGUST 30, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROGER FEDERER ON ANDY RODDICK'S UPCOMING RETIREMENT SAYING: "It's sad, that's how I felt when Andy told me, I was a bit sad, obviously, it means next year at the Australian Open, no Andy Roddick. For me basically I've always gone there, he was there. He was preparing on centre court, I'll miss those moments but it's how it goes, that's why I always had the fortune and luck to get excited about my generation, the previous ones, the past ones, the ones that are coming up now being able to play for history books at times, having the chance to play on centre courts, all that keeps me going." VARIOUS OF FEDERER TALKING TO JOURNALISTS WIDE OF SERENA WILLIAMS' PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERENA WILLIAMS ON ANDY RODDICK'S UPCOMING RETIREMENT, SAYING: "Andy has been great, he has been great for American men's tennis, great for the U.S. Open, doing so much, playing so well so often, just being such a great player, a great attitude, incredibly fun to watch. I know a lot of people look up to Andy Roddick, "that's who I want to be like." It's very incredibly, incredibly sad for me to lose a friend on tour that I look forward to seeing every Grand Slam and every shared tournament, it's going to be hard." SERENA WILLIAMS LEAVING VENUS WILLIAMS ENTERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) VENUS WLLIAMS, SAYING: "Today all I had was fight because I didn't play well, I don't feel like I put together more than two good points before I had to make two or three errors. I looked at the stats and I made 60 errors, it's very difficult to win a match like that, I fought as hard as I could, unfortunately I was fighting her and me, that made it difficult but I know one of these days that I am going to play her and I am going to make less errors, I think at the Olympics I made like 45, there's going to be a day when I am not going to do that and it's going to go a little better for me, unfortunately it was not today." WIDE VIEW OF PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) VENUS WLLIAMS ON ANDY RODDICK'S UPCOMING RETIREMENT, SAYING: "He's had a wonderful career. I think winning here was amazing for him, I think playing the Olympics was great as well, he's an American champion. I'll miss him, definitely leave something out for American men's tennis." VENUS WILLIAMS LEAVING ANGELIQUE KERBER ENTERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANGELIQUE KERBER, SAYING: "I start very well but she was fighting in the second set and play very great shots in important moments so I couldn't do nothing. In the third she was up every time I was try to fighting every point until the last point, I had in my mind also the matches where I was down match ball and I knew I can change it, so yes, I was just try to focus on point by point and not thinking what time it is, what's the score, and just play my game and try to win the points. I'm very happy that I won the very close match today." KERBER LEAVING AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA ENTERING PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA, SAYING: "For sure the beginning was a little bit tough, she's a very tough opponent, you know, a lot of spins, some slice, I think a lot of different shots, I think I just make a bit too many mistake in the beginning, then for sure I just start to play much better and make her run, I just feel much better later on, especially in the third set, so happy that I could come back very well." WIDE VIEW OF PRESS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 15th September 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA8Z0C1ZNFA45MLZFQNL24HEB9I
- Story Text: Peers of former U.S. Open champ Andy Roddick said that he'll be missed on Thursday (August 30) after the American announced that the tournament will be his last.
Top seed Roger Federer absolutely dominated German Phau to win 6-2 6-3 6-2 in the opening match of the night session before paying tribute to Roddick, who he defeated in three Wimbledon finals.
"It's sad. That's how I felt when Andy told me," Federer said.
"I was a bit sad, obviously. It means next year at the Australian Open, no Andy Roddick. For me basically I've always gone there, he was there. He was preparing on center court. I'll miss those moments but it's how it goes."
Serena Williams, though not at her best, was a 6-2 6-4 winner over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez but second-seeded Radwanska struggled before peeling off 11 straight games to finish strongly in a 4-6 6-3 6-0 defeat of Carla Suarez Navarro.
"It's very incredibly, incredibly sad for me to lose a friend on tour that I look forward to seeing every Grand Slam and every shared tournament, it's going to be hard," Serena said.
Her sister Venus, who didn't survive a tense battle against Germany's sixth seed Angelique Kerber in the second round, said that she would miss Roddick too.
"He's had a wonderful career. I think winning here was amazing for him, I think playing the Olympics was great as well, he's an American champion. I'll miss him, definitely leave something out for American men's tennis," Venus said.
Venus fell 6-2 5-7 7-5 with the first five games of the match all service breaks before Kerber, a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows a year ago, began to dominate.
"I fought as hard as I could. Unfortunately I was fighting her and me," Venus said, The unseeded Williams staged a revival to lead 4-2 in the third set but Kerber prevailed to meet Olga Govortsova from Belarus in the third round.
"I'm very happy that I won the very close match today," Kerber said afterwards. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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