By Alastair Himmer
MELBOURNE, Jan 27 - Andy Roddick said he would
just have to "suck it up" after losing a thrilling five-set
Australian Open quarter-final to Marat Safin on Tuesday, a
defeat that will cost him the number one ranking.
The American top seed lost 2-6 6-3 7-5 6-7 6-4 to the
powerful, lesser-ranked Russian in a titanic showdown.
"He played great, so you just have to suck it up and give
credit to him," said Roddick, who did not drop a set in his
first four matches of the tournament.
"It didn't really shock me. People think of Marat and they
think of (him being) temperamental. He is all those things but
at the same time when it comes down to it, he wants to win."
Roddick lost to Germany's Rainer Schuettler in the
semi-finals last year after sustaining wrist tendonitis
following an epic quarter-final match with Moroccan Younes El
Aynaoui which Roddick won 21-19 in the fifth set.
"I started thinking...about it before we started the fifth
set. I thought, 'Oh gosh, this actually could get ridiculous,'"
said the U.S. Open champion.
"But losses actually motivate me a lot more than wins. You
know, you can be kind of bitter when you're working out. It
gives you something to remember."
NEW RANKINGS
Roddick insisted he would fight to get back his number one
spot, which will be claimed by either Roger Federer or Juan
Carlos Ferrero when the new rankings are announced next week.
"Obviously, it's a nice number to have," shrugged the
21-year-old Roddick.
"But, you know, I have...11 months to try to get it back
before the year ends. No one can take away from me the fact that
I was there and that I did have it."
Roddick furiously argued several line calls during his
quarter-final with Safin but after the match he sportingly paid
tribute to his conqueror who had played superbly on his 24th
birthday.
"I did say happy birthday actually, when we shook hands,"
said Roddick.
"But I'm not going to share a cake with him. I don't know,
maybe if he's going out, maybe a beer."