London, June 28 (DPA) One-time Wimbledon standouts Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt re-lived the past with solid victories to move into the second week Saturday.
They were joined by British hero Andy Murray, as the third seed thrashed Serb Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 to next face Swiss Stan Wawrinka who put out American Jesse Levine 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3.
Sixth seed Roddick, who lost finals in 2004 and 2005 to Roger Federer, reached Monday’s fourth round over Austrian Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-3, earning his 31st win at the event.
The unseeded Hewitt, 2002 champion, hammered German Philipp Petzschner 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 as the Australian advanced to the latter stages for the sixth straight year.
Roddick earned his ninth win without a loss against Melzer, with the American putting over 33 aces against 26 for the Austrian in the high-voltage match.
Hewitt, now ranked 56th after coming back form 2008 hip surgery, next faces Czech Radek Stepanek, who beat 16th seed David Ferrer 7-5, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4 but was flying his doctor in from Prague to try and sort out a knee problem which almost forced him to quit.
Hewitt, 28, said that at his current level, getting into the business end of a slam is important.
“When you’re at the top of your game and you’re number one, you kind of take a round of 16s of slams for granted. When you’re unseeded, it’s not always that easy to get the easy draw to come through and make the second week.
“That’s what’s pleasing this week, coming through against worthy opponents. Not dropping a set so far is nice, as well.”
German Tommy Haas, 31, a one-time world number two who has undergone multiple shoulder operations, finished of a thriller held over in the fifth set due to darkness, defeating 11th seed Marin Cilic, 7-5, 7-5, 1-6, 6-7 (3-7), 10-8.
Haas had a late-night Indian takeaway at his rented house after undergoing physiotherapy on his tired 29-year-old body Friday night.
“While that was going on, we were listening to all the great legendary songs from Michael Jackson,” he added.
Two teenaged women felled seeds, with German 19-year-old Sabine Lisicki toppling French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, the number five, 6-2, 7-5.
American Melanie Oudin, ranked 124, produced another shock when she stunned former number one and sixth seed Jelena Jankovic 6-7 (8-10), 7-5, 6-2.
Jankovic came to the new Court 3 against the 17-year-old from Atlanta complaining of illness and was seen by the trainer during contest which stretched for almost three hours as she became the highest seed to exit so far.
“After the first set, I felt really dizzy, and I thought that I was just gonna end up in the hospital,” said the noted Serbian drama queen. “I started to shake. I was losing my … how you say …consciousness.
“I didn’t know if I was gonna fall down and just (leave the court) in an ambulance. But I started to feel a little bit better.”
Five-time champion Venus Williams defeated Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-4 and next plays former French Open holder Ana Ivanovic, as the 13th seed ended the run of Australian Sam Stosur 7-5, 6-2.
Williams and Ivanovic will next meet for the sixth time in their careers, with the American standing 5-1, her lone loss coming at the Melbourne quarter-finals last year.
There were also wins for top seed Dinara Safina over Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-1, ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki, number 11 Agnieszka Radwanska and 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo, who beat 15th seed Flavia Pennetta 7-5, 6-3.
rounak