By DPA,
Rome : Andy Roddick will miss next week’s Rome Masters for the second straight year as the world number seven celebrates his one-year wedding anniversary.
The 2008 semi-finalist at the Foro Italico and his bikini-model wife Brooklyn Decker – cover girl for the Sports Illustrated magazine swimsuit issue in February – were reported by American media to be having a second honeymoon in Hawaii.
Roddick skipped the Italian trip a year ago to get married.
Beside Roddick, the clay field will be missing US Open winner Juan Del Potro, out since the Australian Open with a wrist injury, Russian number six Nikolay Davydenko (broken wrist) and Argentine David Nalbandian (fitness issues after hip surgery a year ago).
Roddick will not be penalised in the rankings or fined for missing the Italian stop as he will be using his “get out of jail card” with the ATP which allows veterans with over 600 matches played to receive one tournament exemption per season.
Starting his clay season at the Foro Italico will be Roger Federer, while Rafael Nadal is due to play after winning Monte Carlo a week ago for a sixth consecutive time. Nadal withdrew from his home Barcelona Open this week to rest.
Roddick’s last outing was a title in Miami last month on hard court. Federer owns two Rome final but no title and Nadal has won four of the last five editions.