Roddick aced out of China Open

BEIJING: The 2008 winner Andy Roddick was sent packing in his opening match at the ATP-WTA China Open on Monday by South African Kevin Anderson, joining the eighth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in making an early exit.

There was also the high-profile withdrawal of Gael Monfils with a knee injury, the ATP confirmed, saying he will also miss next week's Shanghai Masters.

The Frenchman, who lost in the Bangkok semi-finals at the weekend to Donald Young, was to have started as second seed in Beijing behind compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Roddick, the sixth seed in the Chinese capital, was comprehensively beaten 4-6, 5-7 by Anderson, who blasted down his eighth ace for match point and triumphed on his second winning opportunity.

The loss was a huge blow to Roddick, whose sole title this season came in Memphis in February. The American had won both of his previous matches against Anderson, ranked 31st in the world.

Dolgopolov fell 1-6, 6-1, 0-6 to Italian Flavio Cipolla in a topsy-turvy clash.

Croatia's former top 10 regular Marin Cilic, now 25th in the world, defeated China's Wu Di 6-2, 6-0, while Spain's Feliciano Lopez put out Turk Marsel Ilhan 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco beat Michael Llodra of France 6-2, 6-4.

Florian Mayer of Germany, playing his first match since winning the clay Bucharest title eight days ago, made a successful change to the hard courts, taking out Spaniard Albert Ramos 6-2, 6-4.