They’re a couple of trains running on parallel tracks in opposite ends of the Wimbledon draw, but chugging toward a Sunday confluence–two men with dramatically different serving styles whose deliveries have been just about impeccable in the first three rounds.
Andy Roddick brings a 140-m.p.h. sledgehammer. Roger Federer, unable to blast serves with bazooka force, instead uses brilliant laser beams that zap the deep corners of the box.
“I would like to break that 130, 135 barrier, but I cannot. So I have to do it differently,” Federer acknowledged Sunday after sailing through former Australian Open winner Thomas Johansson to reach the fourth round. “For this, I need to play well from the baseline. I have to serve consistently, and that’s exactly what I did today.”
Not long after Federer, the defending champion and No. 1 seed, had faced and aced his first serious opponent, No. 2 Roddick played his best tennis of the opening week, and needed to, to turn back Taylor Dent 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-1).
And so with the first week of the Wimbledon fortnight in the bag, the two favorites have played every bit as well as expected. Neither of these young men has lost a set and, combined, they have served 84 games with only one break, when Alexander Peya busted Roddick’s serve in the second round.
It was People’s Sunday, a rare middle Sunday of play ordered by tournament referee Alan Mills to get this drowning rat of a Grand Slam back on schedule and, by the end of day, men’s and women’s singles were on target.
With tickets a mere 10 pounds ($18 U.S.) and sold on a first-come, first-served basis, the less affluent poured onto the All England Club grounds and most players noticed the difference in the ambiance.
“It was more fun, more live, more real,” said No. 1 seed and women’s defending champion Serena Williams, who had little trouble with left-handed Magui Serna, winning 6-4, 6-0. Britain’s Tim Henman, who reached the fourth round with a stumbling four-set win over Hicham Arizi, called for middle Sundays of play.
MEN, SYNOPSIS
Vince Spadea d. Rainer Schuettler
6-4, 6-2, 6-3 Spadea, seeded 30th but gaining 4th round in upset of No. 8 Schuettler, never had been beyond 2nd round in 8 previous Wimbledon appearances.
Ivo Karlovic d. Feliciano Lopez
7-6 (12), 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 7-5 6-10 Karlovic hit 39 aces to advance past No. 18 seed Lopez to 4th round for 1st time at major event. Through 3 Wimbledon rounds, Karlovic has 95 aces.
Joachim Johansson d. Jonas Bjorkman
6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-3 Johansson, 6-6 Swede, hit 38 aces to beat No. 17 seed and compatriot Bjorkman. He has tournament-high 101 aces through 3 rounds.
Mark Philippoussis d. Fernando Gonzalez
6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (4), 7-5 11th-seeded Philippoussis, Wimbledon finalist in 2003, won 3rd-round match over 24th-seeded Gonzalez to set up meeting with Tim Henman.
WOMEN, SYNOPSIS
Jennifer Capriati d. Nathalie Dechy
7-5, 6-1 About 100 people in seats for start of match. “I was surprised that it was a little bit empty when I first went out there,” 7th-seeded Capriati said.
Amelie Mauresmo d. Ludmila Cervanova
6-1, 6-4 Mauresmo, seeded 4th, made short work of Cervanova 1 month after Frenchwoman brushed aside Slovak player in 1st round of French Open.
Paola Suarez d. Anne Kremer
6-1, 4-6, 6-0 10th-seeded Suarez, playing largely from baseline, continued form that enabled her to reach French semifinals in tough 3-setter.
Karolina Sprem d. Meghann Shaughnessy
7-6 (5), 7-6 (2) Croatian Sprem came up with successful sequel to upset of Venus Williams, beating 32nd-seeded Shaughnessy to advance to 4th round.
