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"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\n\n&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Channeling his inner Jimmy Connors, Andy Roddick pounded a forehand passing shot down the line to win a 20-stroke point and thrust both arms overhead, motioning to the U.S. Open spectators to make more noise.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Moments later, Roddick hit a volley into an open court and chugged back to the baseline, wagging his right index finger.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Yes, Roddick is having a grand ol' time at his retirement party - and he's not done yet.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Winning a second consecutive match since announcing the U.S. Open will be the last tournament of his career, 2003 champion Roddick stuck around at least a little longer by getting past 59th-ranked Fabio Fognini of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4 in the third round Sunday.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\"I'm trying to keep my emotions together, all the while trying to appreciate this tournament. You guys have just made it so special,'' Roddick told the fans during an on-court interview at Arthur Ashe Stadium. \"I'm just enjoying it. I love this place, and I love all of you, and I'm having a blast.''&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the fourth round Tuesday, the last American man to win a Grand Slam title will face 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who needed six match points to defeat Leonardo Mayer 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (9). That 20-point tiebreaker included a backhand by Mayer that somehow ricocheted off the top of a net post and landed on the court.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also advancing: defending champion Novak Djokovic, a straight-set winner against No. 31 Julien Benneteau, and No. 4 David Ferrer, who got past two-time major champion Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It was last Thursday, Roddick's 30th birthday, that he surprisingly let the world know he had decided to walk away from the sport whenever this visit to Flushing Meadows ends.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sunday just so happened to be five-time U.S. Open champion Connors' 60th birthday - and on the very same date in 1991, Connors celebrated his 39th by coming back to beat Aaron Krickstein in five sets to reach the quarterfinals in New York, a match replayed often during rain delays in more recent times. Connors, who briefly coached Roddick, was at his rabble-rousing, crowd-goading best on that day 21 years ago, and the pupil provided a more muted rendition this time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fognini got in on the act, too, helping make things rather entertaining.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Set aside that Fognini broke Roddick to end the third set and force a fourth. Fognini is a real character, too, and he conjured up one tremendous, full-sprint, back-to-the-net, between-the-legs shot; after Roddick replied with a stretch volley winner into the open court to end the point, Fognini chucked his racket all the way to the service box.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There was more, including when Fognini stuck his mug right up against a TV camera after one point; requested instant-replay challenges of two faults on another (both serves were, indeed, out); and kept up a stream of sailor-language muttering in Italian.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Part of Roddick's appeal, in addition to an ability to play tennis well enough to reach five Grand Slam finals and get to No. 1 in the ATP rankings, is his showmanship and quickness with a quip.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dealing with a series of injuries over the past few seasons, including a pinched and painful right shoulder, Roddick dropped out of the top 20 in February, then slid to No. 34 in March, his lowest ranking since 2001. A balky right hamstring forced Roddick to retire during his second-round match at the Australian Open in January, and he lost in the first round at the French Open and third round at Wimbledon.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The 20th-seeded Roddick certainly won't be favored against No. 7 del Potro. But Roddick is into the fourth round for the ninth time in 13 appearances in the U.S. Open, and he's 8-0 so far.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There were moments when Roddick appeared sluggish Sunday, and his big serve - he once owned the record for fastest, at 155 mph - wasn't always what it can be. Fognini, who at 5-foot-10 is four inches shorter than Roddick, actually wound up with more aces, 15 to 10.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But the key moment came in the second-set tiebreaker. Fognini took the first point; Roddick the rest.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At 1-all, Roddick really came alive, as did the partisan crowd, when he smacked a winner and gestured vigorously. He followed that with a pair of aces at 126 mph and 131 mph and pretty much was on his way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There was the third-set blip, of course, but otherwise Roddick stayed steady, breaking Fognini twice in a row in the fourth and raising his clenched right fist overhead after going up 4-3.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After Fognini missed a backhand return on match point, Roddick rolled his head back and raised both arms overhead, then swatted a ball into the stands. The pair of pals met at the net, and Fognini pulled Roddick in for a hug.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Roddick answered the fans' standing ovation with one of his own, clapping overhead while standing near the middle of the court. When he sat in his changeover chair, Roddick exhaled a couple of times, taking it all in. As Fognini strode past on his way back to the locker room, he paused to slap palms with Roddick.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\"It doesn't really matter how much energy I have,'' Roddick said. \"You just keep going. I'm going to give it my all here.''&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/tennis/2012/09/02/andy-roddick-us-open>