MELBOURNE, Jan 20, 2010 (AFP) - American Andy Roddick clashed with the chair umpire after completing a straight sets win over Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci to advance to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The seventh seed had just served out a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over the Bellucci when he continued to argue with the umpire over a Hawk Eye video review decision which narrowly went against him on the first of his two match points.
The video review ruled that a Bellucci volley had fractionally clipped the line saving the first match point, but Roddick contended that he wasn't allowed to play the shot by an out-call from a line judge.
Even when he won the next point to clinch the victory, Roddick continued raging at the umpire as he walked to the net to shake hands with the 35th-ranked Bellucci.
Roddick was always in control of his second round match and broke the Brazilian's service four times, while only conceding one break on his own serve.
His signature serve was on song, registering 80 percent and 11 aces and he always had Bellucci under pressure throughout the two hours 12 minute match on Hisense Arena.
The American broke Bellucci's left-handed serve once in the opening set, twice in the second and once in the third.
Roddick's first break point on his serve only came in the eighth game of the second set when he dropped serve for the only time in the match.
The victory continued Roddick's record of always reaching the second round in his nine Australian Opens and he is bidding to go one stage further than his four losing semi-final appearances in Melbourne.
Roddick is now 7-0 for the new season after winning the leadup Brisbane International tournament earlier this month.
Bellucci, who was ranked just outside the seedings here, was playing in only his second Australian Open.
