Roddick Breaks Service Record, Faces Hewitt at ATP Queen's

Posted on June 12, 2004

World No. 2 Andy Roddick Babolatted a new record 153 m.p.h. serve Friday in the quarterfinals at the ATP stop at Queen's en route to a straight-set win over No. 7 seed Paradorn Srichaphan, setting up a mouth-watering semifinal again three-time Queen's winner Lleyton Hewitt.

"I can't tell the difference between a 146 mph and a 153, it still counts as one point," Roddick said. "I'm just as happy to be through to the final weekend as I am about hitting that serve."

Roddick now has the task of besting the Australian former No. 1 in Hewitt, a man he has never beaten in this his fourth attempt.

"I'm excited to be playing Lleyton," Roddick said. "There's no better preparation for Wimbledon than to be playing a guy like him. He's a former winner there, so it will be a true test of where I am, so I'm excited."

The No. 6-seeded Hewitt gained the semis with a win over unseeded Russian Igor Andreev. Also into the semis were No. 5 seed Sebastien Grosjean (d. (15)Stepanek), and Korean qualifier Hyung-Taik Lee (d. Beck).

Saturday's order of play for the semis are (Q)Lee vs. (5)Grosjean (first meeting), (1)Roddick vs. (6)Hewitt (Hewitt leads 3-0), and in doubles (1)Bryan/Bryan vs. (5)Mirnyi/Zimonjic, and (3)Arthurs/Hanley vs. (2)Knowles/Nestor.

The favorites advanced into the semis at Halle Friday, but Germany took a hit with wildcard Tommy Haas and former winner Nicolas Kiefer taking to the sidelines.

Winners on the day were (6)Mardy Fish (d. Verdasco), (2)Rainer Schuettler (d. countryman Kiefer), (3)Jiri Novak (d. (WC)Haas), and (1)Roger Federer (d. Clement), all in straight sets.

"Even though I thought I had the chance on most points I have to give some credit to him today, especially when I had a chance to jump on him," Haas said after bowing out to Novak. "I think the entire week was very positive, I'm very happy to have reached the quarterfinals here. I had three
tough, good, matches on grass, which will give me some confidence for Wimbledon."

Saturday in Halle features (6)Fish vs. (2)Schuettler (career meetings tied 1-1), and (1)Federer vs. (3)Novak (tied 4-4).

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
The teens made a wasteland of Birmingham Friday, with unseeded 16-year-old Frenchgirl Tatiana Golovin (d. Anne "Cosmo" Kremer) and 17-year-old No. 3 seed Maria "Grunt-o-rama" Sharapova (d. (8)Molik) into the semifinals.

"It's very exciting, especially winning last week in the (French) mixed doubles," Golovin said. "This is a totally different surface and to be doing so well is a big achievement for me...It was more like playing on clay than grass but it's definitely great preparation for Wimbledon. Each match I'm learning more things."

Sharapova says her game is also taking on big-girl status.

"Today was one of my best matches this year," Sharapova said. "The return of serve was the key as her serve is so powerful, so I'm glad I managed to play so well in her service games."

Also into the semis were (2)Patty Schnyder (d. Obata) and (9)Emilie Loit (d. Tanasugarn).

Today's schedule in Birmingham reads as (3)Sharapova vs. (2)Schnyder, and Golovin vs. (9)Loit.

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