Roddick defeated in first round of China Open

Beijing: Sixth seed Andy Roddick was sent packing by South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the men's draw at the China Open on Monday after an unavailing series of last-gasp match point saves.

"I didn't serve very well. It was unacceptable," Roddick told a tense post-match news conference.

The 29-year-old American then snapped at a Chinese reporter who asked him if he was considering retiring.

"I think you should retire," he said before abruptly leaving the media room.

Roddick managed to handle Anderson's huge serve but struggled with his own and was broken in the seventh game to go one set down. The second set brought more of the same. While Roddick evened things up at 5-5, Anderson's momentum carried him through.

"If I break twice and don't win a set, that says my serve isn't on," Roddick said. "It's unacceptable."

World number one Caroline Wozniacki faired better in her first-round match, repulsing a tenacious challenge from Lucie Hradecka to open the defence of her China Open title with a 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 first-round victory.

The top-seeded Dane struggled to find her rhythm against the powerful Czech's serve in the first set and was forced into a fight for survival in a nail-biting decider against the world number 49.

Hradecka had nine aces to the Dane's two. But Wozniacki improved in the second set as Hradecka's first serves increasingly hit the net, saving eight of 12 break points for the match.

"It wasn't a pretty match, but I'm through," she said. "She's a player that doesn't give you any rhythm. She's serving at 200 kilometres per hour, so when it's on, it's difficult."

"But in the second set, her first serve percentage dropped, and that made it easier for me to start the rallies."

The 21-year-old, who was crowned world number one at this event a year ago but who has struggled for form recently, said maintaining her top ranking was paramount.

"If you've been number one pretty much the whole year, you want to finish there as well. It would be a little bit bitter to lose it in the last week of the season," she said.

"So definitely, I just give it my all in the last few tournaments."

Austria's Tamira Paszek became the first woman to reach the third round when she overcame Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Third-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic defeated Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-1, while Maria Kirilenko of Russia beat Julia Goerges of Germany 7-6 (9), 6-3.

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic downed Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-2, 6-3, and Italy's Flavia Pennetta defeated China's Peng Shuai, 7-6 (6), 7-5. Wild-card entry Zheng Jie of China outlasted Alberta Brianti of Italy 4-6, 6-1, 7-5; and qualifier Virginie Razzano of France defeated Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-2, 6-3

In the men's draw, Germany's Florian Mayer beat Albert Ramos 6-2, 6-4; Croat Marin Cilic trounced China's Wu Di 6-2, 6-0; Feliciano Lopez of Spain beat Marsel Ilhan of Turkey 6-2, 7-6 (6); Fernando Verdasco of Spain topped Michael Llodra of France 6-2, 6-4; and Flavio Cipolla of Italy defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-1, 1-6, 6-0.

Roddick's exit has left the tournament low on crowd-pulling names after French Open champion and local favourite Li Na's shock first-round loss on Sunday and the withdrawal of several top players, including world number two Maria Sharapova.

Defending men's champion and world number one Novak Djokovic pulled out two days before the start of the tournament because of a back injury.