Rampant Roddick destroys poor Dent
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Roddick triumphs after relentless display against Dent
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MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) -- Top seed Andy Roddick destroyed Taylor Dent 6-2 6-0 6-2 to reach the Australian Open fourth round in an awesome display of power and precision.
The U.S. Open champion dropped serve in the opening game but broke back immediately and seized control as a battle of big-serving Americans turned into a slaughter.
"I was super-happy with the way I returned tonight," said Roddick, who broke the hapless Dent eight times in a match that lasts just 71 minutes.
"Even when he would serve 205 (kph), I was reacting well and I was on it. I was just seeing the ball very clearly tonight. I think I was just feeling it."
Dent's game disintegrated and in his frustration he earned a code violation for smashing a ball out of Rod Laver Arena after one of his 11 double-faults.
Roddick, a semifinalist in Melbourne last year, won 12 straight games from 2-2 in the first set and was never threatened under the centre court floodlights.
The "A-Rod" finally put the 27th seed out of his misery with a crunching serve on his third match point.
"I was coming in expecting just a huge battle and, you know, it's always nice when things go your way," said Roddick, whose confidence has been sky-high since winning his first grand slam title in New York last September.
"I really wasn't too worried about him but... I just heard when people were calling out and stuff, giving cat-calls and stuff. I kind of felt for him a little bit."
The 21-year-old Roddick will play Dutchman Sjeng Schalken in the fourth round.
A dejected Dent offered no excuses for his Melbourne meltdown saying: "That was definitely, without question, the worst tennis experience of my entire life."
He added: "I wasn't tanking out there. I was busting my butt. I'll probably have to do some soul-searching. It was embarrassing. It was absolutely embarrassing."
