Sports Thread #1 for 11/12/08: Roddick Out Of Masters Cup; Murray Into Semifinals

Photo by Imaginechina via AP Images

After losing to Andy Murray in his first match, Andy Roddick had to defeat nemesis (though not for this year however) Roger Federer in order to stay alive at the ATP Masters Cup in Shanghai. Instead, he had to pull out:

Andy Roddick has withdrawn from the Masters Cup after spraining his right ankle during practice—an injury that he said did not appear to be serious.

Roddick made the announcement Wednesday, hours before he was to play Roger Federer in a Red Group match. He was replaced in the tournament by 26th-ranked Radek Stepanek, the first alternate here.

It's funny how Stepanek, the 26th ranked player in the world, is the alternate. But that is what happens when David Nalbandian never wants to show up and be the actual alternate like he would have been this year, as well as last year.

And speaking of Murray, he's through to the semifinals with an impressive 6-4, 6-2 win over Giles Simon, who beat Federer in their opening match.

Murray is playing the type of tennis where he looks to not only win at least one major next year, but if he stays healthy, really make a run at the number one ranking as well.