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A Andy Roddick said New York’s passionate crowd is an invaluable weapon for him as he attempts to win the US Open in a fairytale end to his career.
Roddick’s dream run continued in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday when he defeated Italian Fabio Fognini 7-5 7-6 4-6 6-4 to reach the last 16 and set up a berth against Argentina’s 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
The 30-year-old Roddick had deafening support against Fognini, kindling memories of Jimmy Connors’ run to the 1991 semi-finals at the age of 39.
Roddick vowed to continue tapping into the raucous cheering against the seventh-seeded del Potro.
“I’d be an idiot not to use the crowd right now,” Roddick said. “It’s a huge advantage. Each match is almost like it’s another memory. I’m certainly going to use them.”
Roddick was once coached by Connors, who turned 60 on Sunday, but said one of the game’s great showmen had never spoken to him about his stampede through the draw in 1991.
“Jimmy, unlike a lot of people who have had as much success as he’s had, Jimmy doesn’t like to talk about Jimmy in the past,” Roddick said. “He doesn’t reference himself at every turn.
“You would have to ask him about it. You know, he certainly didn’t equate everything that happened on a tennis court back to something that he did that was great.”
Roddick said he remembered being at Flushing Meadows as a young boy for Connors’ charge, sneaking into the players’ lounge.
“Yeah, I was here for it,” Roddick said. “In the lounge - I didn’t quite make it to the locker room. I didn’t want to press my luck. They had free stuff in the lounge, so I was fine with that.
“That was my first taste of live tennis and it was that run, so that’s as good as it gets.”
Roddick denied having any of Andre Agassi’s resentment of the game, which the former world number one admitted in retirement, and said the past few days, since announcing his retirement, had been memorable.
“We’re all mentally exhausted or physically exhausted at one point but I didn’t resent the game,” Roddick said. “I never had that moment. I’ve been walking around with a smile on my face for three days. All of a sudden you’re kind of smiling, humming, whistling, walking around, and you feel pretty good about it.
“Then all of a sudden you have to say good-bye to something. It’s like this gut-check moment. It’s these extreme emotions from five minutes to the next five minutes. You think you know what’s going on, but I don’t think there’s any way to prepare yourself for it.”
Del Potro expected the respect of the crowd if not the numbers of people on his side.
“I know this is special, this day for him, but I’m doing my job,” del Potro said. “The match is going to be very tough but if I play at a high level, it will be tough for both players.
“Big atmosphere. The crowd loves Andy here and they have respect for me so it will be a fantastic show. Argentinian fans come to watch me.
“I don’t know if all the crowd will be with him. I will like to win and I will try to do my best tennis.”
Maria Sharapova, back in the US Open’s last eight for the first time since she won the title six years ago, sent fellow Russian Nadia Petrova packing with vigor and passion.
Not only did she rally after twice losing four games in a row against 19th seed Petrova but third seed Sharapova won six of the last eight games in the match after a 73-minute rain delay to take a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
“I’m back in the quarter-finals,” Sharapova said. “It’s a nice feeling. I’ve got to go from here.”
Told that Petrova had dismissed her victory as a creation of the rain delay that disrupted her serve, Sharapova laughed.
“Great,” she said. “I’m the winner, so whatever she wants to call it is fine with me.”
The Russian third seed, clearly the fan favorite in the Arthur Ashe Stadium night match, was pumping her fist with evry point in the seventh game of the last set when she broke Petrova to seize the lead for the first time since the opening set.
Screaming “Come on” and making her joy abundantly clear even at Petrova errors, Sharapova even launched a fist pump in the direction of Petrova’s supporters’ box as she reveled in the victory, which was followed by a tepid handshake at the net.