U.S. Open Tennis Continues: Searing Heat Takes Toll on Players, Andy Roddick Disappoints

U.S. Open tennis competition continues as defending champion Kim Clijsters and two-time winner Venus Williams overcame searing conditions Wednesday to reach the third round in New York.The heat at the U.S. Tennis Center caused No. 10 seed Victoria Azarenka to collapse and she eventually had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair. Gisela Dulko won the match by forfeit and Azarenka was eventually diagnosed as having a slight concussion.Azarenka said she fell and bumped her head while running sprints in a nearby gymnasium prior to her match and after being checked out by the medical staff was cleared to play. She was overcome by the heat while trailing 5-1 in the first set.Clijsters, the No. 2 seed, spent only 56 minutes on the court while defeating Sally Peers 6-2, 6-1.The third-seeded Williams, who has been out of action since Wimbledon due to a knee injury, eliminated Rebecca Marino 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. In the third round, Williams will meet Mandy Minella, who prevented an anticipated rematch between Williams and Tsvetana Pironkova.In other second-round action Wednesday, Samantha Stosur was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Anastasia Rodionova and sixth-seeded Francesca Schiavone, this year's French Open champ, breezed by Maria Elena Camerin 6-2, 6-1.Elena Dementieva reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-4 decision over Sybille Bammer and Shahar Peer defeated Pauline Parmentier 6-2, 6-3. No. 13 seed Marion Bartoli was surprised by Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-4.Over on the mens side, Andy Roddick completed a disappointing year of grand slam events Wednesday by falling to Janko Tipsarevic in the second round of the U.S. Open. Roddick, seeded ninth, failed to get past the quarterfinals in any of the four major tournaments this year.Tipsarevic eliminated Roddick 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in a late-night match at the U.S. Tennis Center. Andy Murray, playing in the heat of a scorching afternoon, cruised past Lukas Lacko 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in another highlight attraction and will meet Dustin Brown in the third round.Tomas Berdych, runner-up at Wimbledon and seeded seventh in this event, was also a surprise victim Wednesday. He lost his first-round match to Michael Llodra 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-4.Ryan Harrison, making his U.S. Open debut at age 18, upset 15th seeded Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-4. Sam Querrey was a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 winner over Bradley Klahn in the only first-round match between two Americans.Other winners Wednesday included John Isner, Gael Monfils, Stanislas Wawrinka, Nicolas Almagro, Juan Ignacio Chela and Sergiy Stakhovsky.

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