Legg Mason Report: #1 Roddick Into Semis As Chalk Mostly Holds

Karlovic chalked up Roddick's victories tonight and in their close matches prior -- where eight sets in a row between them have now gone to a tie break -- to luck. But unforced errors cost Karlovic as much if not moreso than the seven aces, 73% first serve percentage, and quality shots being made by Roddick.

It was an unforced error from Karlovic that allowed Andy to break back in the first, and a backhand sliced far too low and into the net -- one of many -- that allowed Roddick to get back into the second set. Karlovic often stood dejected after strings of errors, and after one missed backhand volley, he picked up the ball at his feet -- not to slam it away in disgust, but to practice tapping it over and not into the net. After Roddick missed a slice at the net himself, costing him another break to open the second set, he was less composed, slamming the ball far out of the stadium in disgust.

But the crowd roared for Roddick's occasional finessed drop shot or lobs and passers placed perfectly out of reach of Karlovic's 6'10" frame. Applause again filled the stadium as Roddick approached the service line leading 6-5 in the second set tiebreak, about to serve for the match. A big serve put Karlovic on the defensive, and set up Roddick for an emphatic overhead kill to clinch victory.

The win emphasized a new-found completeness to Roddick's game, evident in contrasting his style to Karlovic's. While both players are known for powerful serves, Roddick demonstrated his ability to fully cover the court and make an array of shots from several angles, a repertoire of skills which Karlovic has yet to master.

"He's incorporating slice, he's putting a lot more returns on the court," said Roddick of his opponent. "But you know that he's going to play some pretty high risk tennis from the baseline because obviously when you're 6'10", you're not going to move as well as someone whose 6 feet tall."

Roddick, the tourney's top seed, moves on to face fellow American John Isner at 7pm tonight. Isner continued his run of upsets, defeating #8 Tomas Berdych late last night, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2. This afternoon's semifinal features Juan Martin del Potro, the tournaments #2 seed and last year's champion, against #4 Fernando Gonzalez. Isner, knocked off the #3 seed in the second round, is the only non-seeded player remaining in a tournament where the chalk has held: the 1, 2, and 4 seeds are three of the final four men left standing. Check Ticketmaster or call the tournament at 202-721-9500 for semifinal and championship ticket availability.