Preview: Top Six Seeds To Compete In Fourth Round

© AFP/Getty ImagesRoger Federer committed just 11 unforced errors on Friday.

For the first time in nine years, the top six seeds have reached the fourth round at The Championships. ATPWorldTour.com previews, in draw order, a bumper day of action at Wimbledon on Monday.

[1] Roger Federer (SUI) vs [16] Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Defending champion Roger Federer, a six-time titlist at the All England Club and 1998 junior champion, meets his old junior rival Jurgen Melzer – the 1999 Wimbledon junior winner – for the first time at senior level. As juniors they competed together at the Orange Bowl in Florida. Federer, a winner of 62 tour-level titles, has dropped three sets en route to the fourth round, which marks the first time he has dropped this many sets since 2001 Roland Garros. Interestingly, in Open Era history, only one man (Pat Rafter at the 1998 US Open) has won a Grand Slam title having won his 1st round match from two-sets down. Melzer is only one of three Austrian men to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon, emulating the feats of Hand Redl in 1947 and Alex Antonitsch in 1990. He is competing this year at a career-high No. 16 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings. The winner will meet either…

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[12] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs Daniel Brands (GER)
This match is another first time meeting. Tomas Berdych will be attempting to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three years. Earlier this month he broke through to his first Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros (l. to Soderling). Berdych, a grass-court titlist at the Gerry Weber Open in 2007, has won five of his past six matches against German players. Wimbledon debutant Brands, currently World No. 98, saved three match points in his third-round victory over Victor Hanescu. He had never previously won a match at a Grand Slam championship. The 22 year old is bidding to become the first man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on his debut since Florian Mayer in 2004. In the Open Era, David Nalbandian has recorded the best run by a debutant here, finishing runner-up in 2002.

[3] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [15] Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
This is their fourth meeting and second at Wimbledon. Three years ago, Novak Djokovic won a fourth round clash 7-6(8), 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(5). Through to the Wimbledon fourth round for the fourth time in six appearances, Djokovic is attempting to reach his fifth straight major quarter-final. His first-round win over Olivier Rochus that end at 10:59 p.m. was the latest ever finished at Wimbledon. Lleyton Hewitt, playing at the All England Club for the 12th straight year, picked up the 2002 title over Nalbandian. This is his second most successful Grand Slam championship (38-10 record) behind the US Open (41-9). Two weeks ago he beat Federer for his 28th tour-level title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, which snapped a 13-match losing streak against Top 3 players. Hewitt, who has undergone two hip surgeries, is the most successful active grass-court player with a 101-23 win-loss record on the surface and eight titles. At 29 years, 4 months, Hewitt is the oldest of the last 16 and almost 7 years older than Sam Querrey, who is the youngest at 22 years, 8 months. The winner will meet either…

[5] Andy Roddick (USA) vs Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)
Three-time runner-up Andy Roddick takes a 3-0 record against Yen-Hsun Lu into their last 16 match. Roddick, a winner of four grass-court titles at the AEGON Championships, has a 73-16 record on mown lawns. Goran Ivanisevic is the only man in the Open Era other than Roddick to reach three Wimbledon finals and not win the title. Ivanisevic finally won the Wimbledon title on his fourth run to the final in 2001 (d. Rafter). Roddick lost his Wimbledon service speed record on Wednesday, having held the record since 2004. His record serve of 146mph was broken by fellow American Taylor Dent, who served at 148mph during his second round loss to Djokovic. Roddick’s fastest serve at this year’s Wimbledon is 142mph, during his first round win over Rajeev Ram. Lu, 26, has reached his first Grand Slam championship fourth round at his 19th major. The World No. 82, coached by Mark Woodforde, has yet to drop a set in three matches. Japan’s Shuzo Matsuoka is the last Asian man to reach the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam championship at Wimbledon in 1995.

[10] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs [32] Julien Benneteau (FRA)
This is the first all-French match-up in the round of 16 at Wimbledon since Richard Gasquet defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in 2007. Tsonga and Julien Benneteau are also doubles partners, having played together in five tournaments over the last 15 months. Their career series is tied at 3-3, with Tsonga beating Benneteau on grass in the 2007 first round. Tsonga, making his third appearance, has never lost a five-set match and will be bidding to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time. Benneteau, the World No. 40, has been on court for nine hours and 31 minutes, the longest of any man into the fourth round. This is his best run in seven appearances at SW19. In his first two matches, Kristof Vliegen and Andreas Beck, both served for the match. Benneteau saved two match points against Vliegen. His best performance at a Grand Slam championship was a quarter-final exit at 2006 Roland Garros (l. to Ljubicic). The winner will meet either…

[4] Andy Murray (GBR) vs [18] Sam Querrey (USA)
Andy Murray, Great Britain’s lone hope to end a 74-year title-drought in the men’s singles championship, has a 3-0 lead over Sam Querrey. He is bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the third successive year and has yet to drop a set this year. The 23-year-old Scot reached his first Wimbledon semi-final last year (l. to Roddick). Querrey, currently No. 21 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings, is attempting to reach his first major quarter-final. His 9-7 fifth-set win over Xavier Malisse on Saturday lasted three hours and 47 minutes, finishing at 9:24 p.m. He picked up his first grass-court title at the AEGON Championships and is riding an eight-match winning streak.

[6] Robin Soderling (SWE) vs [9] David Ferrer (ESP)
Robin Soderling won the pair’s only grass-court meeting at Nottingham in June 2004 and has a 5-2 overall record. The two-time Roland Garros finalist is bidding to become the first Swedish player to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Jonas Bjorkman went on to reach the 2006 semi-finals. Soderling, the only Swedish player in the draw, has yet to drop a set or a service game at The Championships this year and has spend a total of four hours and 51 minutes on court. Stefan Edberg is the last Swede to reach the Wimbledon final, winning the title in 20 years ago. Ferrer, three years older than his opponent at 28, is attempting to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. He picked up the UNICEF Open title at ‘s-Hertogenbosch two years ago. The winner will meet either…
 
[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Rafael Nadal takes a 9-0 career lead into the pair’s first match on grass courts. This year’s championship marks the first time the Spaniard, champion in 2008, has had to play two five-set match en route to the last 16. He has compiled an ATP World Tour-best 43-5 match record this year, well-ahead of second-placed Ferrer with 38-11. Two years ago the 24 year old became the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double. He is one of three Spaniards to win a grass-court title in the Open Era (also Andres Gimeno and Ferrer). Former World No. 12 Mathieu, 28, will be attempting to reach his first-ever Grand Slam championship quarter-final at his 31st major. His second round win over 2002 Davis Cup final rival Mikhail Youzhny marked the first time he had been taken to five sets on a grass-court.