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Federer slays big Croatian

Seventh seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia hits a return to ninth seed Carlos Moya of Spain during their fourth-round match on Centre Court at Wimbledon, Monday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Defending champion Roger Federer extended his grass-court winning streak to 21 matches Monday, setting up a showdown with 2002 winner Lleyton Hewitt in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

In a match featuring only one break of serve, Federer beat 2m tall Ivo Karlovic of Croatia -- the tallest player in the game -- 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5). Federer hasn't been broken or dropped a set all tournament.

Hewitt lost his first set of the championships but overcame ninth-seeded Carlos Moya 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (3).

"I believe I can beat him," Hewitt said of Federer. "It's going to be an extremely tough match. He's the best player out there at the moment. He's not No. 1 for nothing."

Second-ranked Andy Roddick hasn't lost a set so far in the tournament. He defeating unseeded Alexander Popp, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

Roddick needed five match points, finally closing it out with a forehand passing shot. He had 14 break points, converting four. Popp -- a two-time quarterfinalist here -- broke Roddick twice.

Roger Federer walks to the baseline between points during his match with Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon, Monday. PHOTO: AFP

Roddick credited his improved service return for the victory.

"I broke him three times in the third set," he said. "I'm not sure if I would have done that two years ago."

The day ended with Tim Henman holding off Mark Philippoussis -- last year's runnerup -- 6-2, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5) in a 3 hour, 7-minute match. Henman, bidding to become the first British player to win the men's title since 1936, reached the quarterfinals for the eighth time in nine years. He's lost four times in the semifinals.

Sebastian Grosjean was the first player to make the men's quarterfinals, beating Robby Ginepri 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4). The Frenchman, who reached the semis here last year, hasn't dropped a set in four matches.

Sjeng Schalken reached the final eight for the third straight year, beating Vince Spadea 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Mario Ancic, a 20-year-old Croat, made the quarters when Xavier Malisse quit with a lower back problem while trailing 7-5, 3-1.

Also advancing was Florian Mayer, who continued his improbable run in his first Wimbledon by beating Sweden's Joachim Johansson, 6-3, 6-7, (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4. Mayer, a 20-year-old German ranked No. 66, had played -- and lost -- one grass-court match before the tournament.

The quarterfinal matchups: Federer-Hewitt, Mayer-Grosjean, Roddick-Schalken, and Henman-Ancic.

In women's play, former champion Lindsay Davenport reached the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Vera Zvonareva. Also advancing were two of the game's most promising teenagers -- 17-year-old Maria Sharapova and 19-year-old Karolina Sprem -- and Japan's Ai Sugiyama.

During his current winning streak, Federer has won 53 of 56 sets, including 35 in a row. He has held in 89 consecutive service games at Wimbledon dating back to the 2003 quarterfinals against Schalken.

"I have to say every match so far on grass has been quite unbelievable," Federer said. "I've always played great tennis."

Federer, who had dropped only 19 games in his first three matches, faced his toughest test so far against Karlovic. The towering Croat, who upset top-seeded defending champion Hewitt in the first round last year, served 95 aces in his first three matches.

But Federer managed to break him once, in the sixth game of the first set, and outplayed him in both tiebreakers.

Hewitt, meanwhile, was broken for the first time in the tournament when he lost serve in the third game of the second set, but broke back immediately and went on to take a two-set lead. Moya broke for 5-4 in the third set, then saved two break points before closing out the set with a forehand half volley.
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