American Andy Roddick said there were no easy draws for him anymore after he overpowered French veteran Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the Australian Open today .
American Andy Roddick said there were no easy draws for him anymore after he overpowered French veteran Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the Australian Open today .
The 36-year-old Santoro was playing his 66th Grand Slam, a record for tennis in the Open era, but he was no match for the World No 9 as he went down in 98 minutes on the Hisense Arena.
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Roddick was never in danger and looked the likely winner from the moment he broke Santoro's first service game.
The American has had a straightforward run to the fourth round, where he will play Spaniard Tommy Robredo, the 21st seed.
He faced Swedish qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist in the first round and then Belgian Xavier Malisse, the World No 195, before meeting Santoro.
But he said with his recent form he could't take anyone lightly.
"I'm not good enough to take anything for granted right now," he said.
"I went out pretty quickly in some Slams last year, so, you know, for me there's no such thing as a favourable draw.
"You can (only) play who's across from you -- you're always in danger of losing.
"The other day I was down a break in the third set. There's zero chance of me taking anybody lightly."
Santoro was presented with a bottle of champagne by tournament director Craig Tiley after the match to mark his record-breaking feat.
He confirmed that it was his last singles appearance at Melbourne Park after a remarkable 17-year run stretching back to 1991.
"Today was very special for me because it was my last match here," he said.
Roddick also paid tribute to the Frenchman.
"Saying I respect him is an understatement," Roddick said.
"His longevity is amazing, as is the way he has constantly made adjustments to his game to keep up with the younger guys."
There was no sentiment on court, however, as Roddick fired down 22 aces and blasted 50 winners past Santoro.
He broke Santoro four times throughout the match while not losing his serve once.
"I'm playing really well -- I'm happy with the way I served and moved," he said.
"I'm also happy to be through to the fourth round."
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