Many top players have a last hurrah.  Kim Clijsters said at the start of the year that she planned to retire at the US Open, so people knew, ahead of time, that this was it for her.  No one expected she would lose in the second round to Laura Robson, but so it goes.

The last major male to announce a retirement was Marat Safin, and then the last really major male to do so was Andre Agassi back in 2006, and he too announced his retirement at the US Open, except everyone knew he was going to retire then.  His back had bothered him enough that he was dropping out of tournaments so he could save enough energy to make one last run in the US Open.  He managed one last hurrah by beating Marcos Baghdatis before eventually losing to Benjamin Becker.

Andy Roddick has been hounded about retirement for years.  Every one felt his chances to contend at Slams had long past him, but he did manage to reach the finals of Wimbledon in 2009 and finally push Roger Federer.  All his other losses had been to the Swiss maestro.

Roddick had long taken pride staying in the top ten for almost a decade.  Most of Federer’s rivals had faded.  Safin retired some years ago.  Nalbandian, Haas, Ferrero have never stayed that healthy.  Roddick, too, was bitten by the injury bug, and time and again, had to come back after taking time off, but perhaps, unlike Lleyton Hewitt, the competition bug no longer burned as bright.

He was no longer the top dog among Americans having been passed by Mardy Fish and John Isner, and potentially, Sam Querrey, if he could ever get back up to the top 20.

Roddick will retire, potentially, just ahead of Novak Djokovic with the number of titles at 32 vs Djokovic’s 31.  He won a few titles this year.  So, while he won’t reach in the top ten, he’ll certainly have kept intact some streaks.

He announced this during the US Open and on his birthday.

In other news, Mardy Fish needed 5 sets to beat Davydenko.  Davydenko appeared to fade in the last 3 sets in a pattern seen quite a bit in the first few days of the Open (with players coming back from 2 sets to love down).

Roger Federer was not expected to be troubled by the quick Bjorn Phau, a player that lacked power, and therefore had no weapons to worry the Swiss.  Federer won 62 63 62.

In the first major upset of the tournament, Martin Klizan of Slovakia beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets.  Erratic play caused one of Tsonga’s earliest exits of this Slam.

James Blake continues to show a minor resurgence in form with a win over Spaniard, Marcel Granollers, in straight sets.  Jack Sock, who had the benefit of a retirement by Florian Mayer, made easy work of Flavio Cipolla in his first deep run in a Slam.

Marin Cilic needed 5 sets to beat German, Daniel Brands.  Cilic was up 2 sets to none, but Brands came back to take the next two sets, before the Croat took the final set.

A few other five setters, two by Spaniards.  Nicolas Almagro needed 5 sets to beat Philipp Petzschner.  Feliciano Lopez beat fellow Spaniard, Pablo Andujar, in 5 sets, and has to face Andy Murray in the next round.

Sam Querrey has been sneaking through the draw.  He beat Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo in straight sets.  Tomas Berdych has also been doing the same with a straight set win over Jurgen Zopp.

Milos Raonic, who struggled in a 5-set win in the first round, won in straight sets over veteran Paul-Henri Mathieu.