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Power game sees Roddick into semis
Andy Roddick held his nerve and produced a commanding fifth set to see off the brave challenge of Grosjean in their Wimbledon quarter-final.
Second seed Andy Roddick held his nerve and produced a commanding fifth set to see off the brave challenge of Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean in their Wimbledon quarter-final on Wednesday.
The American edged home 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 and goes on to play Sweden's Thomas Johansson, who defeated David Nalbandian of Argentina in straight sets, for what would be a second straight Wimbledon final.
He lost in four sets to Roger Federer in last year's championship match.
After an edgy start, Roddick settled down and produced some of his best tennis of the tournament to move within one match of having another crack at the Swiss star's crown.
"I came into Wimbledon having lost a string of five setters so to pull it out like that means a lot," he said.
"He was coming up with the goods and I let it slip in the fourth, but I was able to hold on to my nerve in the fifth set."
The 22-year-old Roddick came into the match with a 6-1 winning record against Grosjean, five years his senior, and had not dropped a set in their last five encounters.
But the French had built up an excellent Wimbledon record reaching the semi-finals in his last two campaigns.
After a brief rain delay, both players had early break chances but failed to convert before Grosjean grabbed his chance in the sixth game with a plunging service return that Roddick volleyed long.
The Frenchman was in charge of most of the rallies and was putting an edgy Roddick under pressure on his second serve.
Roddick had break point to get back on level terms but Grosjean held firm and then converted on his second set point to win his first set against Roddick in over two years.
There were more silky skills from the man from Marseille at the start of the second set, but it was Roddick who struck first breaking the Grosjean serve in the sixth game and holding his own to step into a 5-2 lead.
Roddick tucked away the set immediately breaking the Grosjean serve for a second straight time punctuated by a tremendous forehand past the Frenchman.
The tide had turned and Roddick was increasingly imposing his power game on the little Frenchman whose confidence was visibly ebbing away.
The American jumped into a 3-0 lead in the third and then 5-1 before serving out for the set which he clinched with another service winner.
Roddick was imperious on his own service and Grosjean was hanging on until the sixth game when Roddick appeared to be unsettled by a linecall against him.
He followed up with a couple of sloppy forehands and out of the blue Grosjean had his first break since the sixth game of the first set to lead 4-2. He served out twice to take the match into a fifth set.
