Roddick Tops Hewitt, Murray Is Up Next

WIMBLEDON, England, July 1 -- Britain exulted under sweltering skies Wednesday as Andy Murray continued his march toward a Wimbledon championship, sailing into the semifinals with relative ease.

But it was the battle for the chance to deny the young Scot his coveted spot in Sunday's final that provided the most gripping entertainment at the All England club, where American Andy Roddick, the sixth seed, unleashed 43 aces in turning back a gritty challenge from Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-7 (12-10), 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4.

The match lasted 3 hours 50 minutes and included wild swings of momentum, artful shot-making, ill-timed gaffes and a verbal sparring match between Roddick and chair umpire Carlos Ramos. And it was fraught with tension throughout, pitting Wimbledon's 2002 champion (Hewitt) against a two-time Wimbledon finalist (Roddick) -- each a former world No. 1, and each trying to reassert his relevance among the elite of tennis.

"I hadn't been in the Grand Slam picture much in the last two years," said Roddick, 26, who will take on the third-seeded Murray and his legion of supporters on Friday. "It's my second semifinal of the year right now. I'm thrilled."

Earlier in the day, five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer breezed to his 21st consecutive Grand Slam semifinal by subduing the hard-serving Ivo Karlovic, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).

Federer is bidding for a record 15th Grand Slam title. But the Swiss has one unlikely hurdle to clear before reaching Sunday's final: Germany's Tommy Haas, 31, who played well above his 34th ranking in toppling fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-3.

Haas almost played the spoiler last month in Federer's successful bid to win the one major title that eluded him, the French Open, nearly derailing the Swiss after taking a two-sets-to-none lead on the Parisian clay.

But Federer is regarded as peerless on Wimbledon's grass -- particularly without defending Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal in the field.

"All my strength, you know, becomes even better" on grass courts, Federer said, stating more fact than bravado. "I become so much more dangerous."

A British man has not won Wimbledon's singles title since 1936. And Murray, who desperately seeks to snap that drought, has been sporting a classic white outfit tailored in homage to the venerable champion of long ago, Fred Perry, since the 2009 tournament opened.

With each round he conquers, the 22-year-old Murray is fast becoming a legend throughout Britain. He earned his spot in the semifinals Wednesday with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Spanish wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Federer, meantime, embellished his already sterling résumé by handily dismissing the 6-foot-10 Karlovic, often referred to as the Croat Alp, whose serve hadn't been broken through four rounds of play. Federer did so in less than 20 minutes, breaking in the fourth game of the opening set to send a message, in case it had been lost on anyone, that he boasts skills unlike any player in the game.