E-Paper
Hewitt the big threat for Federer
Roger Federer vs Lleyton Hewitt has been developing into a modern-day classic and they will go at it again in the pick of the quarter-finals.
Roger Federer against Lleyton Hewitt has been developing into something of a modern-day classic and they will go at it again in the pick of the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Hewitt is the 2002 Wimbledon winner and Federer, six months his junior, the man who succeeded him last year.
The Australian gained the upper hand over the Swiss player when he clawed his way back from two sets and a break down to win a crucial rubber in a Davis Cup semi-final match in Melbourne last December.
But since then it's Federer who has come out on top, winning twice, notably in the Australian Open, again in Melbourne in January.
If it's a rivalry, it's a friendly rivalry.
Federer, Hewitt says, is the best player in the world at the moment.
"He's the No. 1 in the world for a reason. And he's going through the draw pretty convincingly," he said.
"I'm the underdog for sure. But I believe in my ability and I have played well enough against him in the past."
Federer said that Hewitt's big match experience and tenacity made him a big threat.
"Against Lleyton, it will be extremely tough because he has won here in the past," he said.
"Everybody knows what great matches we have had."
If the Federer v Hewitt match is the pick of the last eight, for pure emotion, all eyes will be on Tim Henman's continuing quest to lift the Holy Grail of Wimbledon.
Henman has stepped it up game by game so far and the latest chapter in the saga saw him defeat Australian bomber Mark Philippoussis in a four-setter Centre Court thriller late Monday.
This time, the task at hand looks distinctly easier for the number five seed as he goes up against unseeded Croatian Mario Ancic.
But Henman had best beware as Ancic takes his inspiration from compatriot Goran Ivanisevic, the man who stymied the Briton's best hope so far when he won a dramatic, three-day semi-final tie in 2001.
Henman insisted that he would not take Ancic lightly.
"He's a great young player who beat Federer here a couple of years ago, so I have got to get my thoughts together for that," he said.
Ancic said he knew what to expect from the crowd.
"There is going to be a big support on his side. The English people have been waiting a long time for him to win it."
Second-seed Andy Roddick will have mixed emotions when he takes on Sjeng Schalken in the top match of the bottom half of the draw.
For Roddick it was who helped rescue the lanky Dutchman from his hotel room balcony when a fire swept their hotel during the Rome Masters in May.
Last year's beaten semi-finalist acknowledged the tie that now binds them, but says it will count for little when they take to the court on Wednesday.
"It's weird how things work out," he said.
"Sjeng and I knew we would play each other again, but once you get out on the court you try to forget about it. I'm sure we will both be focused on winning the Wimbledon quarter-final."
The final last eight tie provides a golden opportunity for Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean to emulate his run into the semi-finals last year.
The No.10 seed has been all softly-softly so far working his way through the draw unnoticed on the outside courts.
And going up against young German Florian Mayer, who had only played one match on grass prior to this tournament, he will fancy his chances of making further progress.
"I don't know Mayer at all. I've never played against him. But I don't really focus on the other guy. I just focus on my own game and what I have to do," he said.
