Sports

Tennis

Marathon man

American Andy Roddick has turned the tide on long matches, winning his second five-setter in a row.

Associated Press
Published June 30, 2005

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WIMBLEDON, England - Andy Roddick might even learn to like the long road.

The second-seeded Roddick won his second five-set match of the Wimbledon fortnight Wednesday afternoon with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 elimination of Sebastien Grosjean to advance to the semifinals for the third time in three years.

"You're trying to say, "Well done gettin' through the five-setter?"' joked Roddick, who came to the All England Club having lost his five most recent career matches that had reached a fifth set. "It feels good to win a couple of five-setters in a row. Who knows? One more, and maybe it'll be called a winning streak."

The other three semifinalists - top-seeded, two-time defending champion Roger Federer, third-seeded Lleyton Hewitt and 12th-seeded Thomas Johansson - each won his quarterfinal match in straight sets.

Which, of course, Roddick would have preferred to do instead of laboring for almost three hours on Centre Court.

But he's not complaining.

"I've come to the conclusion I can't worry about things," Roddick said. "I've just been trying to concentrate on competing. I stayed pretty even-keeled."

Roddick will meet Johansson in a Friday semifinal.

"He's the kind of guy who when he plays well, he plays really well," Roddick said.

Roddick won a tug of war against Grosjean after starting slowly, gaining control for a couple of sets, letting it slip away and then easing through the deciding set after an early break of serve.

"He was good," said Roddick, who has beaten Grosjean seven consecutive times with four of those wins, including a recent meeting at Queen's, on grass. "My second serve had a little jump on it. I never really lost confidence in it."

But perhaps a little in himself.

Roddick, 22, is seeking a second Grand Slam championship to go with the U.S. Open title he chased down two years ago. It hasn't been a clean Wimbledon effort (he squandered a two-set lead in the second round in being forced to go the distance), but it has been effective.

"There was a lot of heat on me coming into the tournament," Roddick said. "I wanted to prove that I'm still a pretty good tennis player. I'm not gone. I felt like I still deserved a little bit of respect.

"I needed a big result."

He hasn't gotten it yet.

Johansson, against whom Roddick has won twice in two meetings, took a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-2 decision from David Nalbandian to reach the semifinal slot opposite Roddick.

"This is one of the best (two) weeks of my life," said Johansson, who won the Australian Open three years ago but never had advanced past the fourth round at Wimbledon in eight previous appearances. "Wimbledon has such great history. I think it's the biggest tournament of the year. I just feel great."

So does Federer, but why wouldn't he?

He's won the past two Wimbledon titles, after all.

Federer was a 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) winner against Fernando Gonzalez built on the foundation of an extraordinary point near the end of the first set. Federer raced from the baseline left to right across the court to a spot just in front of the net where he reached for a scoop volley and produced an acute-angle winner.

"I was pushed very much into the corners," Federer said. "I had to come up with something."

Doesn't he almost always?

That wondrous play - "Federer is Betterer" read a banner in the Court One stands - got him to set point, which he won before rushing to the tiebreaker rout.

Now he gets Hewitt, against whom Federer holds a seven-match win streak and a 9-8 edge in their career meetings.

"We don't need spies around," said Federer, who beat Hewitt in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year, "because we're not going to change our games that much."

Hewitt, though, perhaps should when it comes to dealing with Federer.

Hewitt advanced with a 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) dismissal of Feliciano Lopez to move into the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time since his title turn three years ago. Adding to the intrigue of his semifinal pairing is the fact Hewitt was dropped a seeded spot from his No.2 world ranking, with the fourth-ranked Roddick elevated to the placement.

What's the difference?

Hewitt, not Roddick, turned up on Federer's side of the bracket, that's all.

"It's a bit strange playing in a semifinal," Hewitt said of the first- and second-ranked players meeting at this stage of the proceedings. "I would definitely like it to have been the final, obviously, but it will be like a final going out there."

Maybe so.

But that "big result" Roddick mentioned remains a long road away.

[Last modified June 30, 2005, 07:31:02]

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