TENNIS:THE US is still a force in tennis even though it doesn't have any players in the men's or women's top 10 lists for the first time, says American Andy Roddick.
“We’re kind of a victim of our own success over the years in the sport,” Roddick said in Rome yesterday after he lost 6-3, 6-3 to France’s Gilles Simon in the first round of the Rome Masters at the Foro Italico clay courts.
Roddick, 28, is ranked 12th on the ATP World Tour, while fellow American Mardy Fish is at 11. With 13-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams dropping out of the top 10 of the WTA Tour yesterday there are no US players ranked in either elite group for the first time since the start of the men’s rankings in 1973 and the women’s in 1975.
Williams dropped seven places to number 17 because of a foot injury and treatment for a blood clot in her lung, which have kept her away from the circuit since she won Wimbledon last July. “If you still stack us up against most countries, we’re coming out ahead,” said Roddick, the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title, at the 2003 US Open.
Roddick dropped out of the top 10 in August last year.
Meanwhile, Irish teenager Alan Gleeson yesterday made a dream debut on the adult world ranking stage, taking two scalps in the ITF Men’s Futures event in Newcastle.
The Greystones 17-year-old got a bye in the qualifying first round of the outdoor clay court tournament, and he edged Britains John Rambotas 6-4, 6-4 in the second round.
Gleeson nailed a place in the main draw when after the first two sets were tied against Britain’s Ben Lott, he turned up the heat, dropping only one game en route to a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win. Today, the Co Wicklow youngster takes on Britain’s 845-ranked James Feaver.
Barry King pushed the number one seed to three sets in the first round of the corresponding event in Adana, Turkey. The 26-year-old Dubliner, who was giving away 642 places in the rankings to Ivan Sergeyev – 940 to 298 – made his exit on a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 margin against his Ukrainian opponent.
Limerick’s Sam Barry and Mayo’s Daniel Glancy are in first-round action in Adana today, Barry against Spain’s Jordi Samper-Montana and Glancy against Russia’s Anton Zaytsev.
WTA Rankings
1 Caroline Wozniacki (Den) 9,790.00pts
2 Kim Clijsters (Bel) 8,115.00
3 Vera Zvonareva (Rus) 7,635.00
4 Victoria Azarenka (Blr) 5,205.00
5 Francesca Schiavone (Ita) 4,962.00
6 Na Li (Chn) 4,630.00
7 Samantha Stosur (Aus) 4,156.00
8 Maria Sharapova (Rus) 3,866.00
9 Jelena Jankovic (Ser) 3,695.00
10 Petra Kvitova (Cze) 3,673.00
ATP Rankings
1 Rafael Nadal (Spa) 12,470.00pts
2 Novak Djokovic (Ser) 10,665.00
3 Roger Federer (Swi) 8,900.00
4 Andy Murray (Gbr) 5,905.00
5 Robin Soderling (Swe) 5,265.00
6 David Ferrer (Spa) 4,420.00
7 Tomas Berdych (Cze) 4,035.00
8 Jurgen Melzer (Aut) 3,020.00
9 Gael Monfils (Fra) 2,645.00
10 Nicolas Almagro (Spa) 2,495.00
