January 8, 2003
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Top-seeded Marat Safin advanced, but sixth-seeded Andy Roddick was ousted at the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Safin beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals.
South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik defeated Roddick 7-6 (5), 7-5 just before a late-afternoon rain hit.
The temperature on the rubber-based center court climbed to 113 degrees while Safin played through midday. The world No. 3 is playing in preparation for next week's Australian Open in Melbourne.
Conditions changed from hot and humid to wet and windy when a thunderstorm brought winds gusting up to 60 mph.
Trash blew across court when Roddick, who had led 5-2 in the second set, asked for an adjournment. Umpire Denis Overberg declined the request and the match continued.
Roddick, ranked No. 10, said it was impossible to play decent tennis.
``It was humorous out there. I mean, it wasn't ... I mean I don't even know how to explain it,'' he said.
The 20-year-old American saved two match points with some unorthodox swipes and almost fell over laughing.
``It was match point, I was down 40-love, he was playing with the wind and I was against it. I literally took a grip and took full heaves at it,'' he said. ``It normally would have gone out of the stadium, and it actually went in -- it was unbelievable.''