Young Americans find their form

Andy Roddick showed the promise of America's tennis future on Wimbledon's Centre Court as the 18–year–old Nebraska native beat one of the hottest players here today.

Booming his big serve and racing to save points, Roddick topped 11th–seeded Thomas Johansson 7–6 (1), 6–1, 4–6, 7–6(3) in the second round.

The next opponent for the cleancut teen–ager with a crowd–pleasing style is 29–year–old Goran Ivanisevic, a three–time Wimbledon runnerup who beat Carlos Moya 6–7(6), 6–3, 6–4, 6–4.

Johansson posed a stiff test. He had won 11 straight matches and his last two tournaments – at Halle, Germany, and Nottingham, England.

But Roddick had the determination to back up his shots as he dominated both tiebreakers while Johansson, a 25–year–old Swede, made one mistake after another.

Johansson led 6–5 in the first set but, in the tiebreaker, double–faulted twice and blew two shots at the net.

In the fourth set, Roddick saved four break points in the fourth game to tie it 2–2 then took off. He lost just one point in his last four service games while Johansson struggled to hold his serve.

With fans yelling "Come on, Andy," Roddick finished with a flair, jumping into a 5–1 lead in the tiebreaker and winning with a powerful serve that Johansson barely reached.

Roddick, who now lives in Boca Raton, Fla., raised his racket to the crowd and slapped it six times.

An American with a much richer resume, Serena Williams, also advanced to the third round by trying something new then returning to what she does best – hit hard and win easily.

She breezed to a 6–4, 6–0 victory over Barbara Rittner on the coolest day of the tournament.

After two days of unseasonable warmth, the weather returned to normal, and so did the performance of Virginia Ruano Pascual. The world's 83rd–ranked player, who upset top–ranked Martina Hingis in the first round, lost to Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6–3, 7–6 (3).

Williams, seeded fifth, lost her serve in the opening game and was tied 3–3 after six.

"In the first set, I was just wanting to come to the net a bit more and try a different game I've been practicing," she said. "For sure, you have to come in to win" at Wimbledon.

She turned the match around by staying back and slugging the ball.

"I just decided that I'd rather get off (the court) sooner," Williams said. She won nine of the last 10 games.

She was nearly as dominant as in her first victory, a 6–1, 6–0 decision over Rita Kuti Kis of Hungary. Williams has lost only five of 29 games.

"My volley is looking a little better," she said. "I feel comfortable coming to the net."

Krasnoroutskaya, a 17–year–old Russian ranked 37th, began playing tennis at 3 and was the world's top junior in 1999. She took the last four tiebreaker points against Ruano Pascual, whose brief stay in the spotlight ended with her forehand service return into the net.

On Monday, the Spaniard ousted Hingis 6–4, 6–2 and declared her victory "unbelievable." Hingis said she had tendinitis in her lower back.

There were no upsets Wednesday among the top 16 seeded players. Winners in that group were Juan Carlos Ferrero, Roger Federer, Arnaud Clement, Justine Henin, Elena Dementieva and Arantxa Sanchez–Vicario.

On the men's side, it's the same old story for Andre Agassi and Pat Rafter as they aim for another semifinal showdown. They just hope the ending changes.

If it does, Pete Sampras' amazing mastery of the All England Club's grass courts – seven titles in the last eight years – will have taken an odd bounce.

If it doesn't, Agassi and Rafter might not get another shot at the championship at their advanced tennis ages.

"There's a good chance it will be my last year" on the tour, Rafter, 28, said Tuesday. "I'm sort of pretty excited to have a bit of a life and see if I like it or not."

Agassi has no such plans, but he is 31.

"I don't know how my career's going to end or, really, when it's going to end," he said. "I can say that I hope it ends at the time when I just can't really do it anymore, can't win anymore."

He and Rafter, seeded second and third, still can win Wimbledon this year, but are in the same half of the draw and can't meet in the final. Their only chance to play top–seeded Sampras would be in the final, and he's won the last four Wimbledons.

In Tuesday's first round, Agassi beat Peter Wessels of the Netherlands, 7–6 (1), 6–4, 6–4, and Rafter topped Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic, 6–2, 7–6 (7), 6–3. Sampras, 29, already made it to the second round by winning Monday.

The Wimbledon lives of Sampras, Agassi and Rafter have been intertwined in a strange coincidence that brings them together when the tournament approaches its climax.

In 1999, Agassi beat Rafter in the semifinals only to lose to Sampras in the final. Last year, it was Rafter's turn to beat Agassi in the semis, but Sampras knocked off the Australian for the championship.

"I was nervous. I choked," Rafter said. "I think I now know that I have a good chance of winning. Last year gave me that little bit extra confidence."

The last champion before Sampras began his domination was Agassi, the 1992 winner over Ivanisevic. Even then, Sampras was on his way; he made it to the semifinals against Ivanisevic.

Tuesday's crowd of 41,320, the largest in Wimbledon's 115–year history, saw straight–set wins by defending champion Venus Williams, 1999 winner Lindsay Davenport and fifth–seeded Lleyton Hewitt.