The Salem Open lost drawcard Andy Roddick who conceded his first-round match last night to non-plussed Brazilian Andre Sa because of a 'fluke' inflammation to his right foot.
American hot-shot Roddick, 19, was seen grimacing in pain midway through the third set while receiving on-court treatment from a doctor. With the score level at one set apiece and the battle tantalisingly placed in the decider, Roddick returned to court heavily favouring his right foot. But with his movement badly hampered, Roddick threw in the towel to leave Sa winner 3-6, 6-4, 3-3. It was the worst nightmare come true for organisers of Hong Kong's ATP tournament. Losing a big name player is not easy. And Roddick, young as he is, realised that.
'I'm sorry this happened. I wanted to do well here. I will come back next year,' Roddick apologised to Hong Kong. 'I really don't understand it, how it happened. It is not like I slipped or anything like that.'
Sa said: 'You never want to win a match like this. It is not satisfying. But at the same time it is fortunate for me although I felt I had a chance of beating him at that stage.'
There was no hint of the impending drama at all as Roddick steamed into a 3-0 lead in the deciding set after having seen little-known Sa steal the second set from under his nose. Roddick was angry with himself and threw his racquet in disgust after a solitary break in the fifth game was enough to hand Sa, who played in the qualifying rounds last year, the set.
At 3-0 in front, things seemed to look brighter. But that was a mirage. Sa managed to clear his head and held serve in the fourth game before breaking Roddick's serve in the fifth to close the gap to 3-2. Roddick returned to his chair and sat slumped. He then called for the doctor who removed his right shoe and took off a tape. The first hint of trouble came when Roddick started grimacing while the tape was being taken off. 'I was having trouble putting pressure on my right foot. It was a fluke inflammation and it got worse when the tape was taken off. I'm surprised as anybody else as to how it happened. I was feeling a hundred per cent going into the match,' said Roddick afterwards at the post-match press conference.