Tennis: Rusedski finds perfect range

Tennis: Encouraging signs for Wimbledon as British contenders are locked on course for a semi-final meeting

GREG RUSEDSKI is in such a hurry to get to Wimbledon that he equalled his fastest serve on grass yesterday, 138mph, inspite of the dark clouds over the Stella Artois Championships. Although the delivery lagged 11mph behind Rusedski's world-record 149mph, the British No 2 was delighted with the trajectory. "You've got to combine speed with control," he said. "You've got to hit the corners, otherwise the ball comes back faster than it went."

His opponent, Wayne Ferreira, the winner here in 1992, tried hard to make that happen and succeeded more than once, but the South African was unable to hold Rusedski, who won a tight contest, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, and advanced to today's quarter-finals.

Tim Henman, the British No 1, joined Rusedski in the last eight, defeating Byron Black, of Zimbabwe, 6-1, 6-4, winning the first set after only 25 minutes. Black, it may be remembered, was Henman's third-round victim at Wimbledon last year on the way to meeting Pete Sampras in the semi- finals.

Continued success will see the two Britons play against each other in the semi-finals here tomorrow. Henman, the No 3 seed, will relish the opportunity to face Karol Kucera on grass, having lost to the Slovakian world No 14 on the clay of Rome at the Italian Open last month.

Rusedski, the No 7 seed, will play Sargis Sargsian, a 25-year-old Armenian, ranked No 74, who passed Yevgeny Kafelnikov, sometimes with embarrassing ease, in the second round, ensuring that the Russian would be replaced as the world No 1 next week. Sargsian, who lives in Florida, continued to impress yesterday, defeating Australia's Scott Draper, the defending champion, 6-3, 6-2.

For Rusedski, the win against Ferreira was important psychologically. "He's been to the Wimbledon quarter-finals and is one of the best grass court players in the world," Rusedski said. "It was one of the best matches I've played leading up to Wimbledon. It was a high-quality match, and takes me another step forward. It gives me a lot of confidence."

Ferreira reached the last eight at Wimbledon in 1994, having defeated Rusedski in their only previous meeting on grass, in Manchester, en route to the All England Club. A year later, the Canadian-born Rusedski decided to represent Britain and has since helped raise the nation's tennis profile, both on the ATP Tour and in the Davis Cup.

Britain are due to play South Africa in a World Group relegation tie at Birmingham in September, but Ferreira will not be there because his wife, Liesel, is expecting a baby.

Rusedski's relaxed smile yesterday conveyed that his visit to the Stella last year had been filed under the heading Nasty Moments to Forget. A damaged ankle while playing Italy's Laurence Tieleman in the third round on Court No 1 at Queen's ruined his Wimbledon prospects. Now Rusedski is bouncing again.

"Every year I've had to work hard to improve my game," he said. "This year could be one of the most exciting for the British public if Tim and I get our games together."

Rusedski achieved that at crucial moments during yesterday's match. He was blessed with an element of luck when breaking Ferreira in the 12th game to win the opening set, the South African losing his footing after being passed by a backhand service return for 0-30, and Rusedski's backhand return for 15-40 clipped the net cord and flew over Ferreira's racket. But skill, not good fortune, enabled Rusedski to execute a winning backhand return on the set point.

Ferreira levelled the match with the only break in the second set, delivering two winning returns after Rusedski double-faulted to 30-30 in the opening game. But Ferreira's only response when Rusedski took control from the sixth game of the final set was to bounce his racket in frustration after a backhand return flew high into the crowd off the frame, as the Briton broke decisively for 4-2.

Andrei Medvedev, a French Open finalist last weekend, had fun in Paris telling reporters how the roomy tartan shorts he bought from a chain store improved his game. Rusedski, it was noted, has switched sponsors from Nike to Donnay, forsaking the baggy Agassi look.

"Maybe the ladies like my shorts a little shorter," Rusedski said. "I'm happy with my new range of clothes, rackets and bags. I've got a 2-0 record with them." Does his fiancee, Lucy, have a say in what he wears? "Well, of course she does."

The upset of the day came in an all-Australian duel. The 18-year-old Lleyton Hewitt, ranked No 42, defeated the big-serving Mark Philippoussis, a finalist at the United States Open, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5. Hewitt now plays Cedric Pioline, of France, the 1997 Wimbledon runner-up, who eliminated the American Todd Martin, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Results, Digest, page 27