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Roddick sets up final clash with Monfils
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-10-30 16:36
Top seeded American Andy Roddick stayed on course to win his fifth title of
2005 when he beat French veteran Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) to reach the
final of the Lyon tournament.
US Andy Roddick
returns a forehand to French Fabrice Santoro, during the Lyon Tennis Grand
Prix' semi final in Lyon, central eastern France. Roddick won 6-4,
7-5.[AFP] |
| Roddick,
the world number three, will face another French player Gael Monfils in Sunday's
final.
Roddick broke the 32-year-old Santoro, the 1997 champion here, in the third
game to lead 2-1 and held his advantage through to take the first set.
The American has yet to drop his serve here all week and showed no signs of
losing that proud record in the second set which went to the tiebreak. Roddick
went to 3-0 in the breaker before going onto to take the match.
Monfils put out compatriot Sebastien Grosjean 6-4, 7-5 to reach his third
final of the year.
After losing the first set, Grosjean raced to a 4-1 lead in the second before
allowing the 19-year-old to fightback to 4-3 and then 5-5.
Monfils then had the momentum and took the second set and the match with a
confident finish.
"I didn't want to let him back into the match," said Monfils.
"At 1-4 down in the second set, I was perhaps a little less aggressive and he
was able to hit his best shots. I felt a lot of pressure. There were a lot of
long rallies but I think he felt it more."
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