Henman fights as Rusedski floors Ferrero

British pair triumph to go through to last 16 but formidable opposition lies in wait in the shape of Ivanisevic and Martin

Come Monday, Wimbledon's head groundsman, Eddie Seaward, and his staff are going to be filling craters like never before when Greg Rusedski and Goran Ivanisevic resume bombing each other after a three-year truce.

Not that Tim Henman's fourth-round contest with Todd Martin will be sedate, as the British No 1 attempts to gain revenge against the American for his defeat in the quarter-finals here in 1996. That was the year Martin ought to have challenged Richard Krajicek in the final, but nerves overcame him as he surrendered a 5-1 lead against his compatriot MaliVai Washington in the final set of their semi-final.

Henman, the sixth seed, had to recover after a shaky opening set against the Dutchman Sjeng Schalken on the Centre Court last evening before winning, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Schalken, adapting his style for grass in order to move in behind his serve, troubled Henman at the start and broke in the 11th game, a reverse that clearly worried the majority of spectators and challenged Henman's feeling of security on the court he regards as his province. "Sjeng was out-playing me for a set and half and it wasn't looking pretty for me," Henman said.

Showing no sign of panic, however, Henman worked his way steadily into the second set, making the decisive break for 4-2 to level the match. The third set proved more problematic. Schalken saved three break points at 1-1 and put tremendous pressure on Henman's serve in the fourth game.

Henman recovered from 0-40, was given the benefit of an overrule by the umpire after an ace had been called out at deuce, but then missed a backhand to offer Schalken a fourth opportunity. Henman rescued himself with a winning serve and held the game with an angled backhand volley and another unreturnable serve.

Schalken served away a break point at 2-2, but was unable to fend off Henman in the ninth game; Henman running round his forehand to pass the Dutchman down the line for 5-4. Henman served out the set to 15. The Dutchman's serve wavered disastrously in the fourth set, and although he survived three break points after double-faulting twice in the third game, he could not bear the cost of two more double-faults at 2-2.

By now he seemed more likely to miss his serves than put them in play, and there was almost an inevitability in his double-fault at 2-4, 30-40. Henman took a deep breath and served out the match to 15.

The previous eight battles between Rusedski and Ivanisevic, two mighty-serving left-handers ­ from Tokyo in 1994 to Hamburg in 1998 ­ have tended to be close, but on every occasion Ivanisevic has left the court victorious.

Wimbledon is about to become their battleground for the first time, Ivanisevic having won their only other match on grass, in the 1997 semi-finals at Queen's Club, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6. Significantly, Ivanisevic has won 10 of their 11 tie-breaks, Rusedski's only success coming on a carpet court in Vienna in 1997.

Both men have been down on their luck in recent years, chiefly because of injuries, which is why Rusedski, placed No 40 in the tournament entry system, was out of range for a seeding and Ivanisevic, at No 125, had to be given a wild card. Has there ever been a wilder card? Yesterday they blitzed their way to a meeting in the fourth round.

Ivanisevic hit 41 aces in defeating the American teenager Andy Roddick, 7-6, 7-5. 3-6, 6-3. Rusedski delivered 15 aces in accomplishing one of his finest grass-court displays in beating Juan Carlos Ferrero, of Spain, the eighth seed, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

"It's the kind of performance I needed today to get off the court quick, to save my energy for next week," said Rusedski.

It is doubtful whether the British No 2 will be allowed to show his improved rallying skills so much against Ivanisevic in a contest Jim Courier would call a "crap-shoot". But in the match with Ferrero on the Centre Court, Rusedski gave a master class in grass-court skills: pounding serves, crisp volleys, confident overheads, net-surfing sliced backhands, and punishing forehands.

Ironically, Rusedski has enhanced his back-court skills by training in Spain during the clay-court season, and his ability to live with Ferrero in the rallies was one of the most revealing aspects of the match. Next Monday, it will be back to basics: serve, volley, return, and may the force be with you.

Not that Rusedski neglected to apply himself to his ABC yesterday, returning smartly to break for 2-0 after five minutes, and reasserting himself immediately after losing his serve to love in the third game. "I put a few serves in his pocket and he came back to 2-1," said Rusedski. "But not to let Ferrero win his serve once in a set, even it's on grass, is a good effort."

It was good enough to create serious doubts in Ferrero's mind that carried over into the second set and most of the third. The Spaniard was helped by an overrule on his first serve at 2-2, 15-30 on the second set. He proceeded to double-fault, and Rusedski converted the first of two break points, finishing a brisk rally with a winning smash.

Leading 3-2, Rusedski was not amused when a foot-fault was called on his second serve at 15-15, but he played himself out of danger with a serve and volley followed by two aces. Ferrero's confidence was not helped when Rusedski finished the set with an ace timed at 138mph.

Ferrero double-faulted to be broken for 1-2 in the third set, and did not have a chance to make amends until the eighth game. Rusedski, serving at 4-3, may have been distracted by a child's shout of support as a prepared to deliver a first serve at 15-15. He double-faulted to 15-30, won the next point after an exchange of volleys at the net, moved to 40-30 with an ace, but then netted a volley at deuce.

The Spaniard's hopes of converting the break point evaporated as Rusedski complemented a fierce serve with a high forehand volley. After that, Ferrero could only delay Rusedski's victory by saving four match points when serving at 3-5. Rusedski served out to love in the next game.