Andy Roddick survived a scare from Bob Bryan before breaking to end the match and winning 7-6 (5), 6-4 to reach the third round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
Roddick, who won the first hard-court title of his career at the Legg Mason in 2001, showed Bryan on Wednesday that his serve was working right away by opening his first service game with 216kph.
But Bryan, who won just his first ATP-level singles match of the season just two weeks ago in Newport, Rhode Island, matched the No. 2 seed serve for serve. But Byran dropped the final two points of the first-set tiebreaker when he went for broke with a forehand pass that just sailed long.
"If he takes a couple months off from doubles, the way he played tonight was top 35, top 40 tennis easy," Roddick said. "I was very impressed out there tonight. If he can play like that he'll vault up the rankings I think."
The second set was more of the same as neither player's serve was threatened.
Roddick started to come up with big passing shots in the final game of the match, including a fist-pumping shot up the line at 0-30 that signaled the end was near.
"That last game I was happy because I got to pretty good looks at passing shots and put them both for clean winners," Roddick said. "He really only gave me one point out of that last game."
In earlier play, third-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan overcame some inconsistencies Wednesday and ousted Cyril Saulnier to reach the third round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
Srichaphan, a finalist last year at the Legg Mason, beat Saulnier 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-1. He showed a perfect touch on a half-volley and backhand lob on consecutive points for the decisive break of the first set.
But Srichaphan failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, and squandered a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker. That allowed Saulnier to force a third set.
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