By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 16, 2008

There came a point after the fourth game in the second set of Andy Roddick's loss last night when the star of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic whirled his racket at the hard court.

It was a signal that the match was quickly turning. It was a signal that for the second straight night, Roddick might be in trouble. It was a signal that he might not win.

After sweeping through the first set and enduring a 57-minute rain delay, Roddick faced the stark reality that in a tournament in which he is the headlining player and defending champion, he might just be the most notable early exit. And as has been the case too often in Roddick's career, the prospect of what might be is overshadowed by what became: a quarterfinal 0-6, 6-2, 6-4 loss to Viktor Troicki at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.

"To be fair, I thought I was in it until the end," Roddick said. "He obviously got the momentum in the second set. He played really well in the third set. He deserved to win that one. But I just got to bear down when I'm cruising."

After the match, Troicki stood at center court with a racket in one hand and a tennis ball in the other, about to ceremonially hit the ball into the stands. A crowd gathered in front of him, in part to request a souvenir and in part in appreciation for an outcome it did not expect but nonetheless admired. Because if there is anything that matches the appeal of the star, it is the surprise of an underdog. And Troicki fits the profile of an underdog.

"When you play against a top 10 player in the world, you're for sure like the outsider," Troicki said. "But I was believing I could win."

The two met in the ATP Masters Series in Miami in March. Although Roddick won the match, Troicki developed confidence that allowed him to believe he could take down Roddick.

Troicki entered the match ranked No. 93. He is now 15-20 in singles play, and is two wins away from winning his first tournament. He will play in today's semifinal against Igor Kunitsyn, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over former Virginia star Somdev Devvarman in the late quarterfinal.

The turning point, in Troicki's estimation, was breaking Roddick's serve in the third set. It gave Troicki a 4-3 advantage. Roddick, on the other hand, could not break Troicki's serve after the first set.

"I can beat pretty much everyone if my serve is good," Troicki said. "I play against top five players in the world. All the matches were tough, I even beat number three player in the world last year. I know I can play good and compete against best players."

The victory Troicki alluded to was over fellow Serbian Novak Djokovic in July 2007. He insists that remains his biggest win, but overcoming Roddick last night cannot be too far behind.

In many ways, Roddick has himself to blame for the loss. Although Troicki handled the match late, Roddick double-faulted three times last night -- and two were in the decisive third set. Troicki double-faulted four times, but three came in the first set and none in the third set.

In his near-defeat to Eduardo Schwank on Thursday, Roddick double-faulted four times. For a player whose serve is one of the hallmarks of his game, this week's total was crippling.

"I was sloppy," Roddick said. "I double-faulted I don't know how many times this week and I rarely double-fault. That's unacceptable."

In fact, what he said are his strengths -- his serve and his forehand -- plagued him in Washington. His backhand, which he admitted is a weakness, turned into a reliable shot.

"That's the frustrating thing," Roddick said. "I'm doing a lot of things well, volleying okay, hitting the backhand well. My serve goes and I'm not hitting the forehand well. It's backwards. I spent seven years not being able to hit the backhand, now I can hit one and I'm missing serves and forehands. So you tell me."

What made the loss so puzzling was the dominance Roddick displayed in the first set. It lasted a total of 21 minutes. He won 10 of 11 first-serve points and looked like the type of player who justified his position on the tournament's billboards and as the top seed. In the next two sets, he was just 23 for 33 on first-serve points won.

The night began to turn in the second set with rain clouds ominously hovering over Rock Creek Park and eclipsing the moon. The disappointment turned demonstrative, with Roddick striking his racket against the ground as the revealing signal.

Roddick bypassed a chance to compete in Olympics for this tournament and to prepare for the U.S Open later in August. Now he exits Washington prematurely, and he must wait for his return in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. -- the site of his lone Grand Slam champion -- as the best opportunity redeem himself.

"This," Roddick said, "definitely isn't the way I want to go out."