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New York. For the second consecutive year, a popular highly ranked American player was ousted from the US Open in a match marred by a foot-fault controversy.

A year ago, Serena Williams had a meltdown when she was penalized on match point in the semifinals for threatening a lineswoman.

On Wednesday night, Andy Roddick reacted with sustained anger and sarcasm when he was called for a foot fault in the midst of another devastating loss at the tournament he loves.

Two days after his 28th birthday, Roddick, the No. 9 seed, was upset in the second round by Janko Tipsarevic, a wily 26-year-old from Serbia who played far beyond his No. 44 ranking.

Tipsarevic withstood the momentum that Roddick initially seized in the third set after the dispute with the match officials, including the tournament referee Brian Early, and eventually won 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (4) to reach the third round for the first time in his career.

It was also the first time Roddick had lost in the second round of the Open and only the second time he had lost before the third round since winning his only title here in 2003.

After a difficult summer in which a bout with mononucleosis sapped his strength, Roddick entered the tournament uncertain of his stamina but looking to live up to the hopes of the fans who have supported him here since his first tournament in 2000.

But Tipsarevic, playing smart, aggressive tennis, brushed aside a lopsided first set and then began to stagger Roddick with aggressive body blows.

He effectively returned Roddick’s sizzling serves and then punished him with numerous backhand winners down the line.

In the tiebreaker, Tipsarevic won four straight points to take a commanding lead and then won the match on a soft backhand volley leaving Roddick helpless at the net.

Tipsarevic refused to allow Roddick’s protestations of the foot-fault call disrupt his focus.

Trailing by 5-2 in the third set, Roddick was called for the foot fault (he was called for three overall) on the first service of the first point of the game, a call he disputed because he rarely is called for that infraction.

Roddick turned and asked the lineswoman which foot touched the line and was told that it was his right, or back foot, even though it was his left foot.

Astonished because his right foot almost rarely crosses his left during his thunderous serves, Roddick seized on the discrepancy and began to complain to the chair umpire, Enric Molina, and then proceeded to ridicule the lineswoman, even though television replays clearly showed that he did foot-fault, only it was his left foot, not the right.

“Not once in my entire career has my right foot gone ahead of my left foot,” Roddick said. “Ever.”

At one point he began to question the overall quality of the officials to Early, who was sitting nearby, and remarked, “Call 1-800-ref.”

Now, John Isner is the highest seeded American left in the tournament.

The last time the 18th-seeded Isner was involved in a first-round match at a Grand Slam tournament, he needed 138 games in the fifth set and more than 11 hours overall to defeat Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in the longest match in history.

On Wednesday night, Isner dragged a badly sprained left ankle around Armstrong Stadium, but needed nine fewer hours and only three sets to win.

After dismissing Frederico Gil of Portugal 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, in 1 hour, 57 minutes, Isner noted that he is bound to fare better in his second-round match at the US Open than he did at Wimbledon when he was wiped off the court in three quick sets.

“I don’t know the exact time of my match tonight,” Isner said. “Obviously, it was a lot less time on the court. So for my second-round match I should be a bit fresher than I was at Wimbledon.”

In the first match of the night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Kim Clijsters, the defending champion and No. 2 seed, overcame a shaky start to cruise through her second-round match, defeating Sally Peers, 6-2, 6-1, in 56 minutes.

Clijsters lost the two games of the first set on her serve and made 15 unforced errors in the set before finally settling down in the second and taking command.

“It takes time and I just want, every match, to grow,’’ she said in an on-court interview, “and when the players get better, hopefully I will play better.’’

 

The New York Times