Roddick moves into semifinals
Friend joins him in final four of tourney
LOS ANGELES – Andy Roddick reached the Countrywide Classic semifinals with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Marc Gicquel of France on Friday night.
Roddick, seeking his third title of the year, was joined in the final four by friend and training partner Mardy Fish, who beat Florent Serra 6-4, 6-4 in the opening match of the day.
Fish will face Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, a 7-6 (6), 6-2 winner over American Amer Delic, and Roddick will meet German left-hander Denis Gremelmayr, who upset No. 5 seed Marat Safin of Russia, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“The second set was probably the best set I’ve played in the last four months or so,” said Roddick, who withdrew from Cincinnati with neck and shoulder pain last week and has been dealing with injuries all summer. “It just clicked in and the ball started doing what I wanted.”
Fish, the No. 6 seed, said he turned down an invitation to the Olympics to maximize his preparation for the U.S. Open, where he “desperately” wants to do well.