Thaindian News

London, June 12 (DPA) Top seed Andy Murray fulfilled home hopes with a win into the quarter-finals while No.2 Andy Roddick won a duel of serves with Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4) after a minor bomb scare alert at the Queen’s club grass tournament here.
Murray was lifted by a partisan crowd in his 6-4, 6-4 victory of Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez Thursday.

Roddick and Hewitt, both four-time champions at the elite Wimbledon tune-up, had to wait to start while police checked out what appeared to be an amateur attempt at a bomb scare. Officials said they found a threatening note pinned to a wall at the club, which referred to a non-existent area of the stadium.

After a search of the grounds, the Roddick-Hewitt match resumed with only a short delay.

“Obviously your concern is with making sure everyone is safe,” said Roddick. “There really wasn’t much to be done, and I know they were trying to decide what they were going to do.

“We were hoping we were going to get a chance to stay out there and play the match, but it was all a first for me.”

Roddick ended the third-round showdown with his 18th ace after struggling against the former No.1 Australian for an hour and 40 minutes.

“It was a good win, Lleyton really knows how to play on grass,” said the American. “I didn’t feel comfortable throughout. He keeps the ball low and away from you.

“I had to depend on my service games.”

Hewitt now stands 6-5 in the series, but with Roddick now having won their last four dating to 2005.

Roddick next faces Croatian ninth seed Ivo Karlovic, who pounded 2007 finalist Nicolas Mahut with 19 aces in a 6-3, 6-4 win.

World No.3 Murray reached the last eight in just 69 minutes and will next play American Mardy Fish, who defeated Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-4.

Murray said that he felt better than in his opening match as he adjusts to the grass with just over a week to go before the start of Wimbledon.

“The matches are going to get tougher. Fish is a very good grass court player, I have to raise my level to beat him,” said the Scot, 37-6 this season with three titles.

No.3 Gilles Simon feel victim to an upset as he lost 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 to Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

Sixth seed James Blake put aside the frustration of another modest clay court season, continuing his fresh start on grass with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 defeat of countryman Sam Querrey.

Spanish veteran Juan Carlos Ferrero continued his solid tournament debut as he advanced over qualifier Xavier Malisse 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

He next takes on Belgian Steve Darcis, who moved through as French fourth seed Gael Monfils announced a day earlier that could not play due to a wrist injury.