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Roddick falls at first hurdle

2012-05-27 09:36:09

Andy Roddick was the biggest casualty on day one of the French Open as the American slumped to a four-set loss against Nicolas Mahut

Roddick: Down and out.

It was a fifth first-round defeat for the 26th-seeded Roddick at the Roland Garros as he went down 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-2 to Frenchman Mahut.

The world No 29, who has been battling injury throughout the year, concedes he was never at the races.

“You can’t fake it out here,” he said. “My footwork on this stuff is really, really bad.”

He added: “You know, there are a lot of guys who know how to play on clay, and it’s just second nature to them. I feel that way on grass, so, you know, hopefully I can turn it around there.”

The American has decided to withdraw from Nottingham Challenger but hopes to play at Queens in the run-up to Wimbledon and the London Games.

“I want to play the Olympics,” he said.

Fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the highest-ranked male player in action and he overcame an opening set slump to beat Andrey Kuznetsov 1-6 6-3 6-2 6-4.

The local hope will take on German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in the second round.

Tsonga’s fellow seeds Juan Martín Del Potro (ninth), Fernando Verdasco (14), Stanislas Wawrinka (18) and Marin Cilic (21) also booked their places in the next round.

Other first-round winners included former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, Fabio Fognini, Pablo Andújar and Gilles Muller.