Simon puts it across Roddick at Washington

Washington: Gilles Simon beat second-seeded Andy Roddick 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday in the third round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

Roddick, a three-time champion of this US Open Series event, came out flat against the 13th-seeded Frenchman in a match that started just before 11 p.m. local time because of a 4-1/2-hour weather delay.

"It was just a bad night," Roddick said. "I don't really have any defense for it. I didn't feel right physically. I didn't feel right mentally. I wish I had answers for you right now, but I just don't.

"(But) I promise you, I'm going to figure this out before I do that again," said the American.

Roddick has lost five of his last 14 matches on tour. He had won his previous two matches against Simon in straight sets.

"The difference is that I was able to return his serve today," Simon joked about the match that ended just before 1 a.m. "He wasn't able to hit winners versus me because the court was a little slow and I was moving well."

Roddick, ranked ninth in the world, was the third highly seeded American to lose over the past two days.