American number three seed Andy Roddick celebrated US Independence Day in style on Wednesday, overpowering Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 to take his appointed place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Roddick, twice runner-up at Wimbledon to Roger Federer, took two days to round off his match as the players constantly had to scuttle on and off a rain-hit Centre Court.
On Tuesday, Roddick launched his charge with three aces on his first three serves, increasing the pressure as the ball hurtled past the exasperated Mathieu at speeds of up to 140 mph (225.3 kph).
Roddick, now coached by former Wimbledon champion Jimmy Connors, bludgeoned the hapless Mathieu into submission again at the start on Wednesday, rounding off the second set 7-5.
But he had to fight in the deciding set, coming back from 5-2 down and surviving three set points in the tiebreak before finally winning. He has not dropped a set in the tournament so far.