US Open: Roddick, Dementieva, Jankovic play today

[August 27, 2008]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Andy Roddick, Elena Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic are among the major players in action today in U.S. Open tennis. Roddick takes on Fabrice Santoro, Dementieva faces Pauline Parmentier and Jankovic goes against Sofia Arvidsson.

Yesterday, Serena Williams eased into the second round of the U.S. open with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Kateryna Bondarenko. The fourth seed is considered by many to be the favorite to win the women's title.

Seventh-seeded Venus Williams advanced, too, beating Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-3. Like her younger sister, she's twice won the U.S. Open.

But it wasn't a routine opening round for the top seed. Ana Ivanovic avoided becoming the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose in the first round at the U.S. Open by pulling out a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Vera Dushevina. Ivanovic trailed 3-2 in the third set.

Sixth seed Dinara Safina won her first-round match. But No. 11 Daniela Hantuchova was dispatched by Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-4, 6-2.

Men's second seed Roger Federer, who's trying for his fifth straight U.S. Open title, eliminated Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-love, 6-3 in his opening round match.

American Sam Querrey pulled off a shocker on the men's side, rolling to a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 win over 22nd seed Tomas Berdych. No. 20 seed Nicolas Kiefer also fell. On the women's side, 11th seed Daniela Hantuchova and No. 21 Virginia Razzano also lost.

[Associated Press]

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