Tennis: Karlovic topples Hewitt at Queen's, Henman exits

LONDON - Croatian colossus Ivo Karlovic returned to haunt Lleyton Hewitt today, knocking out the Australian top seed 7-6 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Stella Artois Championships.

Karlovic caused one of the biggest shocks in tennis history two years ago when he beat the then-defending Wimbledon champion in the opening round in his first match in a grand slam event, and he was at it again at the Queen's Club.

The unseeded 2.08m-tall Croat took the first set 7-4 in the tiebreak before breaking Hewitt for a 5-3 lead in the second and sealing victory with an ace to set up a contest with Swedish sixth seed Thomas Johansson.

Johannson upset British third seed Tim Henman 6-4 6-4 while second seed Andy Roddick, now a strong favourite to complete a hat-trick of Stella titles, beat France's Sebastien Grosjean 6-4 7-6.

In the last four of the pre-Wimbledon grasscourt event, Roddick will face Czech fourth seed Radek Stepanek, who beat French teenager Richard Gasquet 3-6 6-1 6-2.

On a blustery day in west London, Hewitt matched his opponent ace for ace, both players hitting 12, but luck favoured the Croat when it mattered.

The first set tiebreak swung his way when a Hewitt net-cord sat up for Karlovic to crash away the only point against serve.

The Australian also lost serve at 3-4 in the second when a Karlovic groundstroke struck the tape and dribbled over.

Hewitt, who missed the French Open through injury, was not too disheartened.

"There wasn't a whole heap I could do about that. My actual ball strategy and what I was in control of today was pretty good," he told reporters.

"That's what happens sometimes on this surface." Seventh seed Grosjean gifted Roddick the first set of their match with two double-faults at 4-5.

In the second set tiebreak, the American created match point with a raking backhand pass and produced a sizzling 212km/h second serve to win it 7-5.

"It normally works," Roddick said of the serve. "It feels good.

"Seb's had really, really good results on grass the last couple of years. I'm really excited. After three matches you just want to be alive still."

Henman was unable to get his serve-volley game going against Johansson, the methodical 2002 Australian Open champion who knocked out another Briton, teenager Andrew Murray, in the previous round.

The decisive break of the first set came in the seventh game and 30-year-old Henman never recovered from losing his serve in the first game of the second, after which he smashed his racket in frustration.

"The key was that I returned very well and that made him uncomfortable serving," said the 30-year-old Swede.

"I'm disappointed with my performance, I never gave myself the opportunity to put pressure on him," admitted a glum Henman, the four-times losing Wimbledon semi-finalist who has finished runner-up at Queen's three times.

- REUTERS