Top-seeded Roddick beats Ball to reach Brisbane quarterfinals

more images

more images

Roddick beats Ball, advances to quarterfinals

BRISBANE, Australia — Andy Roddick won a serving duel against Carsten Ball on Wednesday, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International with a 7-6 (0), 6-3 win.

The top seed broke in the eighth game of the second set — the only service break in the match — and clinched in the next game against the 22-year-old Ball, a big-serving left hander who was born and raised in California but plays for Australia.

“He serves huge. It was tough for me early on to get a read on it. I expected a tough one today, and it really was,” said Roddick, who has one of the biggest serves in tennis. “It’s not as much fun when it’s flipped.”

Justine Henin overcame some service problems in the marquee night match against Sesil Karatantchevato to reach the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win in her comeback tournament.

Fourth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia beat Hungary’s Agnes Szavay 6-3, 6-1, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia will meet third-seeded Ana Ivanovic in the quarters after ousting Italy’s Roberta Vinci 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Defending champion Radek Stepanek came from a set and a break down to beat Ukraine qualifier Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-2. The second-seeded Stepanek will face American Wayne Odesnik, a 6-7 (8), 6-2, 6-1 winner over Colombia’s Alejandro Falla.

Third-seeded Gael Monfils had a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over fellow Frenchman Florent Serra and will next play American James Blake, who recovered from a break down in the third set and fended off three match points in the tiebreaker to edge Marc Gicquel 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6).

“Hard work but a fun result,” Blake said. “Sometimes these are the best feelings, to tough it out. I felt like I scrapped and competed really hard.”

The former No. 1-ranked Roddick didn’t have nearly as much trouble against Ball, facing only one break point when serving to stay in the first set.

The American, who will play Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinals, is playing his first tournament since withdrawing at Shanghai in October with an injured left knee. Roddick is also teaming with Blake in doubles to prepare for the Australian Open.

“I made a lot of returns — think I had four errors with 24 winners,” Roddick said. “I served 83 percent first serves — those are numbers you’re going to be happy with any day.”

Henin dropped her opening service game against Karatantchevato and had to defend powerful groundstrokes from the Kazakhstan qualifier before taking control in the eighth game.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion was serving for the match when she was broken for the third time. Henin broke back immediately, finishing with a forehand winner to advance to a meeting with seventh-seeded Melinda Czink.

Henin attributed the shaky start to the humidity and her first night match in a long time.

“I’m glad to play matches to find rhythm,” she said. “That’s a very good thing.”

Henin beat second-seeded Nadia Petrova on Monday in her first match since May 2008, when she retired while holding the No. 1 ranking.

The 27-year-old Henin announced her comeback in September, soon after fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open only three tournaments into her own comeback from retirement.

The Belgians could meet in the Brisbane final in what would serve as an intriguing buildup to the year’s first major. Clijsters will play a quarterfinal against Lucie Safarova, who had a 6-3, 6-1 win over sixth-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada on Wednesday.