Andy Roddick advances into semifinals of BNP Paribas Open

Andy Roddick advanced to the men’s semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Tommy Robredo, who lost to the American for the 11th consecutive time.

Roddick will next play Robin Soderling after the Swede defeated Andy Murray 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Roddick won the final three games, earning the only break in the eighth game, to wrap up the first set against Robredo. Both players were on serve in the second set until Roddick broke in the 11th game and then served out the win.

“I felt like he was trying to hit his first serve a little bit bigger and win some cheaper points,” Roddick said. “Second set, he actually served pretty well; he was hitting some aces. He wasn’t just kicking it in like he does sometimes.”

Roddick is in the semifinals for the fourth time in six years, but has yet to reach the final.

“It’s about the only place in the North American swing that I haven’t won before, so that would be nice,” he said.

“I felt pretty good,” said Roddick, who has held 41 of 42 service games during the tournament. “I feel like I'm playing really well on my own serve. I think I've been broken once, but I don't know that I've had that many break points against me throughout the week. That's always a good thing in that holding that easily makes my returns better.”

Roddick is now through to the semi-finals for the fourth time at the BNP Paribas Open, but will look to reach the final for the first time. He lost to Lleyton Hewitt at this stage in 2005, and to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in 2007 and ’09.

“I hear a lot of those stats of how many times you played in the semi here and there, and it just makes me feel old now,” Roddick said with a laugh. “I'd like to get to the first final and try to win here once. It's about the only place in the North American swing that I haven't won before, so that would be nice.”


Source ATP/AP
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