|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Rafter's run continues Aussie wins again, advances to quarterfinals
Posted: Monday July 03, 2000 04:07 PM
LONDON (Reuters) -- Twelfth seed Patrick Rafter booked his place in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Monday and said his confidence was at its highest for a year. Rafter, a semifinalist here last year, eased his way past Sweden's Thomas Johansson 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-1 in the fourth round and will now meet Alexander Popp. "He's big," Rafter said of the 2.01 meter-tall German who has climbed his way to his best Grand Slam result past former French Open champions Michael Chang and Gustavo Kuerten. "He served pretty well and today he passed well and returned well. If I can serve as well as I am, I'm sure there'll be opportunities on his serve," the Australian said. Rafter, out for five months after shoulder surgery late last year, looked by far the more competent player against Johansson, who stormed up and down the baseline muttering to himself every time he hit a ball out of court. The pony-tailed Australian lost his rhythm slightly in the first set after a rain delay, allowing Johansson to claw his way up from 5-0 but then rained down aces to take the set 6-3. Both men played stunning tennis in the second set, wrong-footing each other and chasing down every single ball. But Rafter proved his athletic prowess, out-hitting the Swede and rushing towards a quick win. Johansson rallied in the third set, defending six break points and taking the tie break 7-4 with a stinging backhand return. But the Swede's luck ran out there as Rafter powered his way through the final set, serving one unreturnable serve after another and dominating rallies from the baseline and at the net. "I am gaining confidence and believing that I can win again," said Rafter who was out of action for five months with a shoulder injury after last year's U.S. Open. Popp, 23, relished the prospect of playing the two-times U.S. Open champion. "It will be fun playing him. I mean, for me it's just great this tournament. I just know these guys from television more or less," he said.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
