Roddick moves into third round

Andy Roddick and rising star Sam Querrey lead the American charge into the third round of the US Open.

Andy Roddick gives a thumbs-up to the crowd as he defeats Marc Gicquel during their evening match at the US Open.

Hopes for a first home win in the men's singles at the US Open in six years were given a boost today with Andy Roddick and rising star Sam Querrey leading a charge into the third round. Roddick, the fifth seed and the last American to win the title here in 2003, coasted through 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 against Frenchman Marc Giquel in a match that finished after midnight. The giant 21-year-old Querrey, who this summer has taken over as the US number two, defeated compatriot Kevin Kim 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4 and is just two wins from a possible quarter-final match against top seed and title-holder Roger Federer.

Joining Roddick and Querrey in the third round of the top half of the draw were former US No. 1 James Blake, who edged Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, and another outsized US player in John Isner, who blasted past Turkey's Marsel Ilhan 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1). Earlier, compatriot Jesse Witten, a 26-year-old qualifier playing in just his second Grand Slam event, defeated Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

Next up for him will be fourth-seeded Serb Novak Djokovic, who had little trouble in seeing off Australian qualifier Carsten Ball 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. On the women's side, former finalists Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic were eliminated in successive surprises. Blinking back tears and ignoring pain, American teenager Melanie Oudin defeated No. 4-ranked Elena Dementieva 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Then No. 5 Jankovic lost 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) to Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan in a 2 hour-40 minute match. Jankovic reached the final in 2008, but she said she was not focused on this day: Her grandmother died on Wednesday. "I was very sad and emotionally I was really not on court," Jankovic said. "I really tried my best to be there and to try to play, but it was really hard." The losses by Dementieva and Jankovic mean half of the top 20 seeded women are out of the draw. No. 23 Sabine Lisicki of Germany also is gone, having left in tears as she was taken away in a wheelchair after injuring her ankle at the end of a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 defeat against Anastasia Rodionova of Australia. No. 1 Dinara Safina nearly joined the parade of surprising exits, turning in her second poor performance of the week before hanging on to edge 67th-ranked Kristina Barrois of Germany 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3. "Another tough day in the office," said Safina, who double-faulted 15 times, including three in the tiebreaker. "There is no problem in the technique or nothing. Just in my head." * Agencies