LONDON, June 28: Top seeds Roger Federer and Andy Roddick eased through to the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Monday while the push for the women's title was lit up by blonde teenagers Maria Sharapova and Tatiana Golovin.
Reigning champion Federer toppled Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) to set up a titanic last eight clash with 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia who won a thrilling Centre Court tussle against Spain's Carlos Moya 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3).
Roddick, the second seed, reached the last eight, and a clash against Dutchman Sjeng Schalken, with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 win against Germany's Alexander Popp. "I am very pleased to be in the quarter-finals here for the third time," said Federer.
"Karlovic is a big guy and serves very consistently but it comes down to being able to read his serve." Six foot 10in (2.08m) Karlovic, who knocked Hewitt out in the first round last year, was outplayed by the Swiss star's silky skills as the top seed took the opening set 6-3 in just 26 minutes.
The Croatian's big service game ensured that the next two sets would go to tie breaks, but Federer's greater range of strokes proved crucial as he went on to wrap up the match and maintain his record of having dropped just one set in the last two tournaments here.
Hewitt, the seventh seed and 2002 champion, was too powerful from all parts of the court as fifth-seeded Moya, never the most comfortable on grass courts, struggled to make an impression before mounting a powerful, late rally which the Australian battled to subdue.
"I expected a tough match against Carlos. Grass is not his favourite surface but he won one match on grass in the Davis Cup final in Melbourne last year so he knows how to play," said Hewitt.
"I'll look forward to the challenge of facing Federer but I will have to raise the level of my game. He is capable of playing exceptional tennis." Also making the last eight was Germany's Wimbledon debutant Florian Mayer who beat Joachim Johansson of Sweden 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
Mayer, who had only played one career match on grass before coming here, now faces French 10th seed Sebastien Grosjean who put out Robbie Ginepri of the United States 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)
Also going through was unseeded Croatian Mario Ancic who was 7-5, 3-1 ahead in his fourth round clash with Xavier Malisse when the Belgian was forced to retire with a back injury.
Ancic now faces either Tim Henman or Mark Philippoussis for a place in the semi-finals. Schalken, the 12th seed, meanwhile, saw off America's Vince Spadea 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old French woman Tatiana Golovin set up a dream Wimbledon fourth round clash with defending champion Serena Williams and admitted that the thought of facing the great American had almost shattered her campaign.
Golovin, making her Wimbledon debut, clinched a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win over Switzerland's Emmanuelle Gagliardi in a third round match held off from Sunday with the tie level at 3-3 in the decider.
But the blonde teenager revealed that the prospect of facing the two-time winner for a place in the quarter-finals had led to an uncomfortable night's sleep. "It was really tough to come back on to court today," said Golovin who has been a photographer's dream here with her hipster white shorts.
"I was thinking about playing Serena in the next round and that put a lot of pressure on me." Maria Sharapova, the 13th seeded Russian, who clinched the grass court title in Birmingham two weeks ago, saw off American veteran Amy Frazier 6-4, 7-5 and meets Japan's Ai Sugiyama, who beat Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-3, 7-5.
The 17-year-old Sharapova was delighted with her win against Frazier who had knocked out French Open winner Anastasia Myskina in the third round. "I was relieved because she beat Anastasia so she must have been in good form. I had to fight," said the Russian, who was also a quarter-finalist at the French Open.
The 1997 champion Lindsay Davenport of the United States, seeded five, beat Vera Zvonareva of Russia 6-4, 6-4 and now faces Croatia's Karolina Sprem who continued her giantkilling exploits with a 6-4, 6-4 win against veteran Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva.
