Andy Roddick overcomes another court hiccup to reach semis

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Andy Roddick overcomes another court hiccup to reach semis

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Roddick, the 2003 US Open winner, beat fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3.

09 September,2011 11:01 am

Former champion Andy Roddick fumed over another snafu regarding court conditions Thursday before shifting to another court to book his place in the US Open semi-finals.Roddick, the 2003 US Open winner, beat fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3, completing the quarter-final on distant Court 13 after a wet spot behind the baseline on Louis Armstrong Stadium court could not be fixed.When they called Roddick and Ferrer back to the court, after using a vacuum cleaner and thin rubber hose and towels to try and fix the problem, the American was angered to see water still bubbling up to the surface.Im baffled, Im baffled. Why are we out here? he railed at tournament referee Brian Earley. Find us a court.Roddick went back into the hallway and continued to vent his frustration at not getting on with his match, given the compressed schedule forced by two successive washouts at Flushing Meadows.When the players were asked whether they would be willing to move to Court 13 rather than wait for a chance to get on the grandstand showcourt, Roddick said: Lets go play, lets go play. We just want to play.Wednesday, Roddick, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray together lodged their complaints about being asked to compete in damp conditions to tournament officials before play was halted for the day.Once resettled at Court 13 after a delay of about one hour, Roddick played some of his best tennis to set up a last four showdown with Spaniard Nadal.It was a rare trip outside the confines of the main courts for Roddick, who as the leading US player for most of the last decade has exclusively played on the showcourts.