WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Andy Roddick sprinted forward to scoop up a ball near the net, then backpedaled for another shot, leaping, stretching and swinging in one desperate motion.
He hit the ball into a camera bay.
So it went Tuesday for Roddick, outclassed by Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Olympics at Wimbledon, 6-2, 6-1.
“I hit the ball fine,” Roddick said. “He was just too good from the baseline. He was seeing it like a basketball.”
Djokovic also praised his performance.
“It was a perfect match in every sense,” the Serb said.
Even so, the drubbing was a dismal result for Roddick, whose declining fortunes in recent months have left him fending off questions about retirement.
Playing under the Centre Court roof, Djokovic closed out the victory with consecutive aces. Roddick then quickly left the court where he lost three Wimbledon finals, and was noncommittal about the possibility he won’t be back.
“It’s not close to my mind right now,” he said. “That’s not something that I’m going to talk about.”
Like Djokovic, Venus Williams charged into the third round. She won 15 of 16 points when she reached the net and beat Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 6-1, 6-3.
Back on her favorite stage — Centre Court — Williams dominated with her aggressiveness, which is what makes her so dangerous on grass. Of the points she has won through two rounds, nearly one-third have come when she moved forward.
Williams is also serving well and ripping returns. She broke Wozniak six times in eight games.
“Every day I’m just concentrating on trying to bring my best tennis out,” Williams said. “And honestly, if there’s a time to do it, it’s now.”
Williams won her most recent tournament title 2½ years ago, and she took a long layoff after being diagnosed in 2011 with an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue. But at 32, she seems rejuvenated by the chance at a record fourth gold medal in Olympic tennis.
“Much improvement in the last few weeks,” U.S. coach Mary Joe Fernandez said. “And this is where she feels at home. It’s great to be back on the grass.”
View Entire StoryBy Andrew P. Napolitano
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