Roddick rides serve to quarters

Big serves en vogue among men again

? Andy Roddick is putting up numbers Pete Sampras could appreciate.

On the way to his Wimbledon quarterfinal debut, Roddick has won 63 of 65 service games, saving 11 of 13 break points. That’s comparable to — or better than — Sampras’ statistics each year while taking seven titles from 1993-00.

There’s a lot to like about Roddick’s game right now, but it’s his serve that truly dazzles.

“That’s my best shot,” Roddick said, “and I definitely appreciate it.”

Big serving is back en vogue at Wimbledon. So, too, is serve-and-volleying, which Roddick doesn’t try very often but others still in the tournament do.

Last year, Lleyton Hewitt beat David Nalbandian in the All England Club’s first final between two baseliners since Bjorn Borg beat Jimmy Connors in 1977 and ’78. And neither Hewitt nor Nalbandian is known for pounding out aces.

This year, Hewitt lost in the first round to Ivo Karlovic, a 6-foot-10 qualifier who slams serves and follows them to the net, while Nalbandian fell in the fourth round to serve-and-volleyer Tim Henman.

And top-ranked Andre Agassi, the consummate baseliner, was eliminated in the fourth round by unseeded Mark Philippoussis, a serve-and-volleyer whose powerful serve generated 46 aces.

“You always feel against a player like him that once you lose your serve, the set’s close to being over with,” 1992 champion Agassi said.

With the No. 1-seeded Hewitt and No. 2 Agassi out, it’s the first time in the Open era that both of the top two seeded players failed to make the quarterfinals. It’s also the first time no past Wimbledon champion is in the final eight since 1973, when a player boycott diluted the field.

In a fourth-round match completed Tuesday, Sebastien Grosjean hit 17 aces and beat French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). Play was suspended because of darkness Monday night after the third set.

The other men had Tuesday off.

The matchups in today’s men’s quarterfinals are No. 5 Roddick vs. unseeded Jonas Bjorkman, No. 10 Henman vs. No. 13 Grosjean, Philippoussis vs. 198th-ranked Alexander Popp, and No. 4 Roger Federer vs. No. 8 Sjeng Schalken. Both Federer (back) and Schalken (foot) are injured.