CAREER DAY: Andy Roddick celebrates after defeating Australia’s Bernard Tomic in straight sets yesterday in the second round of the U.S. Open. Roddick, who will retire following the tournament, will face Italy’s Fabio Forgnini in the third round. (
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Under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights, Andy Roddick decided to savor some memories. The 30-year-old announced Thursday he is retiring when his run at the U.S. Open is over, and he knew last night could have been it.
So Roddick revealed that during last night’s second-round walloping of Australia’s Bernard Tomic, he took a glimpse of what was happening.
“The stadium, there were a lot of people. That’s the smallest it felt to me. It almost felt cozy for once,” he said. “It’s a big place for that.”
He added, “I don’t know why [it felt small]. It felt comfortable.”
The Roddick retirement tour didn’t come close to ending, as the 20th-seeded American blistered Tomic, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in just 87 minutes. Roddick racked up 13 aces, captured all 13 of his service games and saw his serve clock in at 139 mph more than once.
He advance to the third round in his final tournament, set to play unranked Italian Fabio Fognini.
Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi delivered late-career brilliance at the Open, and you wonder if Roddick is capable of a similar run. He has won all six sets in his two matches, and Tomic’s world rank is a solid 43rd. If Roddick beats Fognini (ranked 59th), he potentially has to face No. 7 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the fourth round.
Given the reception Roddick received last night, that would be quite the scene.
“[I] had no idea what was going to happen [last night], honestly.” he said before he took the court. “The moment hit me a little bit,” Roddick said. “You start realizing the finality of the situation. You think different things today. I walk out for warm-up, and is this going to be the last warm-up?”
Flashing his red-white-and-blue sneakers, Roddick took the court in front of a frenzied crowd with his wife, model/actress Brooklyn Decker, looking on from the stands. Roddick won his first service game, broke Tomic to go up 2-0 and had a net-cord winner — a parting shot gift — in game three. He sealed the first set with a 136-mph ace, and at 4-4 in the second set, Roddick broke Tomic then never lost another game.
In the third set, Roddick was mauling Tomic, up 5-0 and 30-15, when he hit a drop-volley winner that prompted a smile.
“I just realized it was probably a shot I never hit before,” Roddick said.
Tomic, meanwhile, won just five points in the third set and had to answer questions about a lack of effort. He denied that he retired before Roddick did.
“He played very good,” Tomic said. “I couldn’t do anything really.”
As for the glimpses he took during last night’s match, Roddick said, “There are no guarantees for me now, so I was trying to notice stuff.” After the match ended and the PA announcer declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, Andy Roddick!” the 24,674 at Ashe Stadium cheered, and the music system played “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.”
How will Roddick approach the rest of the tournament with his career hanging in the balance?
“[I’ll] come out tomorrow and get a little bit of practice,” he said, “and try to fight another day.”
mark.hale@nypost.com