Del Potro upsets Roddick to win Los Angeles tennis final
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
LOS ANGELES, Aug 11 (AFP): Argentine teenager Juan Del Potro won his third straight ATP title by outmuscling Andy Roddick 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) in the final of the Los Angeles Classic.
19-year-old who will climb into the ATP top 20 for the first time, has now claimed his last 14 matches.
His streak includes wins on clay in July at Stuttgart and Kitzbuehel before making the successful change to cement.
Roddick fell in a heap, never having a look at the Los Angeles title, the only American summer event that he has never won.
"No question, he played lights-out," said Roddick, who still pronounced his week a success. "I'm not sure I would have been able to handle him in any case today.
"No doubt he has talent and he's been able to keep this up for five or six weeks."
The underdog Del Potro earned his second career win over a top 10 player.
"I only want to keep playing at this level," said the winner, three for three in career finals and all played over the past month.
"This was the best win of my career. I beat Tommy Robredo last year, but this is the ultimate."
Roddick's grand plan to tune up for the US Open starting in a fortnight by skipping the Beijing Olympics stalled at the final hurdle as the top seed and former number one went down in 90 minutes.
19-year-old who will climb into the ATP top 20 for the first time, has now claimed his last 14 matches.
His streak includes wins on clay in July at Stuttgart and Kitzbuehel before making the successful change to cement.
Roddick fell in a heap, never having a look at the Los Angeles title, the only American summer event that he has never won.
"No question, he played lights-out," said Roddick, who still pronounced his week a success. "I'm not sure I would have been able to handle him in any case today.
"No doubt he has talent and he's been able to keep this up for five or six weeks."
The underdog Del Potro earned his second career win over a top 10 player.
"I only want to keep playing at this level," said the winner, three for three in career finals and all played over the past month.
"This was the best win of my career. I beat Tommy Robredo last year, but this is the ultimate."
Roddick's grand plan to tune up for the US Open starting in a fortnight by skipping the Beijing Olympics stalled at the final hurdle as the top seed and former number one went down in 90 minutes.