By DPA
Miami : Andy Roddick grudgingly revealed a few details about his recent engagement to a New York model while Roger Federer played it strictly business as both advanced into the fourth round of the Miami Masters tennis tournament here.
“I got down on a knee, but I think the details we’ll keep close to our family and friends,” said Roddick of his engagement to 20-year-old Brooklyn Decker as media handlers cut off further discussion of his love life.
The American sixth seed spoke after producing a win over Czech Ivo Minar 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 Monday.
“Ivo Minar played the same way. I don’t think he really cared. That was my main concern today,” he said.
Federer got on and off the court in a mere 47 minutes as Swede Robin Soderling retired with an illness while trailing 6-4, 3-0.
While Federer might have sympathised slightly after dealing with the mononucleosis virus to start the season, the top seed was more pleased to have escaped the heat and move into the fourth round.
“Its a big difference between not playing at all and playing one and a half sets,” said Federer, given a walkover at his previous event at Indian Wells when German Tommy Haas fell ill with bronchitis and never took the court.
“Obviously I prefer a match. I warmed up, I was in the spirit of playing a match,” said Federer.
Federer is shrugging off naysayers who said he has not won a title so far this season and that the Swiss reign of tennis terror – with 12 Grand Slam titles since Wimbledon in 2003 – may be waning.
Instead of stating the obvious, that a 100 percent performance may not be possible to maintain for more than four consecutive years, the 26-year-old prefers to let his racket speak for him.
He next faces Argentine Jose Acasuso, who booked a place with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Israeli Dudi Sela.
Federer expressed doubts as to the seriousness of the Soderling discomfort.
“I just had the feeling he was not injured. You know, it was more simply tired or maybe the sun, maybe sick. Apparently it was fever. It’s tough to call. I guess he was just really struggling with his footwork, and there’s no point to continue and risk your health in a moment like that,” he said.
Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko survived a first-set fright before defeating Italian Simone Bolelli 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-1.
Women’s pacesetter Justine Henin led a trio of top five seeds into the quarterfinals, with Svetlana Kuznetsova the only one made to work a bit.
Number one Henin advanced at the expense of Russian Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-2. Kuznetsova, seeded third and the 2006 champion, needed a tiebreak to eliminate Shahar Peer 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
“I played a very good first set actually. I was consistent and I was serving very well.
“The wind was quite strong today, and I lost my intensity and my concentration. In the second set – especially in that game (sixth of the second set) where I had my four double faults – I had really the sun in the eyes there and it was quite windy at that time of the match,” said Henin.
Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic won her third match in as many days over Chinas Zheng Jie 6-4, 7-5.
Russian Dinara Safina ended the run of veteran Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 6-4, a day after the 31-year-old mother beat world number two Ana Ivanovic.
Three-time champion Venus Williams earned a win and believes she can put her tennis back into orbit. “If I’m playing on cloud nine, I’m trying to get to cloud 10 and actually cloud 11,” joked the US sixth seed after despatching Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3.
Results:
Women’s singles (fourth round): Justine Henin, 1st seed, Belgium, def. Elena Vesnina, Russia, 6-2, 6-2; Svetlana Kuznetsova, 3, Russia, def. Shahar Peer, 16, Israel, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Jelena Jankovic, 4, Serbia, def. Zheng Jie, China, 6-4, 7-5; Venus Williams, 6, US, def. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 6-3, 6-3; Serena Williams, 8, US, def. Kaia Kanepi, Estonia, 6-3, 6-3; Elena Dementieva, 10, Russia, def. Sabine Lisicki, Germany, 6-3, 6-2; Dinara Safina, 13, Russia, def. Lindsay Davenport, US, 6-3, 6-4; Vera Zvonareva, Russia, def. Ai Sugiyama, Japan, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-0
Men’s singles (third round): Roger Federer, 1st seed, Switzerland, def. Robin Soderling, Sweden, 6-4, 3-0, retired due to illness; Nikolay Davydenko, 4, Russia, def. Simone Bolelli, Italy, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-1; Andy Roddick, 6, US, def. Ivo Minar, Czech Republic, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny, 11, Russia, def. Nicolas Almagro, Spain, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6); Julien Benneteau, France, def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France, 6-3, 6-3; Jose Acasuso, Argentina, def. Dudi Sela, Israel, 6-4, 6-4; Janko Tipsarevic, Serbia, def. Thomas Johansson, Sweden, 6-4, 6-4; Mario Ancic, Croatia, Juan Monaco, Argentina, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-1