World No. 21 Andy Roddick of USA made a fine start to the match and won the first two sets convincingly, but lost the third-set, but he brought forth his best game in the fourth set to beat his compatriot and World No. 95 Michael Russell with a 6-2 6-4 4-6 7-5 scoreline and secured his berth in the second-round of the 2011 US Open, this year’s last Grand Slam, being played here at Flushing Meadows, New York. Another American John Isner also advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (11), 2-6, 6-4 victory over Marcos Baghdatis. In the second-round, Isner will take on his compatriot Robby Ginepri, who beat Joao Souza of Brazil with a 6-3 6-4 7-6 6-1 scoreline.

Re-live the excitement of this duel!

Roddick won this opening battle of US Open in 2 hours and 57 minutes, as he fired 13 aces and hammered 42 massive winners. Roddick duly got benefitted from Russell’s 40 unforced errors. In the end, former World No. 1 Roddick converted 6 out of 10 break points to sail through. In the second-round, Roddick will take on his another compatriot Jack Sock who rallied past Marc Gicquel of France with a 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 scoreline.

Roddick took 32 minutes to win the first-set, as he converted 2 out of 2 break points. Roddick also hammered 11 winners and earned 88% points on his first serve to win the first set comprehensively.  Russell had a single break point, but he failed to convert that in the first set.

The trend continued in the second-set and Roddick took 45 minutes to win it. The former World No. 1 earned 75% points on his first serve and committed only 4 unforced errors as compared to Russell's 14. Roddick converted 2 out of 3 break points and hammered 8 exquisite winners to go two sets up in the match.

Russell made a fine comeback in the crucial third-set, as he won it in 45 minutes and took the battle into the fourth-set. Russell maintained his lead after getting the early break in the third-set.  Well, Russell earned 88% points on his first serve, as he hammered 11 winners and duly converted 1 out of 2 break points. Roddick did not have any break point in the third-set. Roddick was broken in the fifth game of the fourth set, but he broke back in the next game and then earned the decisive break in the twelfth game of the fourth-set to win the match.