Philippoussis ready for centre court showdown

Mark Philippoussis is relishing his big Centre Court showdown with in-form Marat Safin today.

Australia’s former finalist clubbed aside Karol Beck to reach the second round and is ready for a battle with the Russian who has looked hugely impressive so far.

And Philippoussis knows he can ill afford any lapses of concentration if he is to beat the fifth seed and progress to the third round for the seventh time in his career.

Philippoussis said: “Mentally I have to be strong and I cannot allow myself to have any lows during the match.

“I’ve been working pretty hard off the court and I feel pretty strong out there. It is an opportunity for me to go out there and start this comeback thing in a positive way.”

Safin routed experienced Thai Paradorn Srichaphan in round one and admitted he is coming to terms with a surface upon which he vowed 12 months ago he would never play again.

“I was impressed with the way Safin played,” Philippoussis added.

“He definitely looks like he’s getting more comfortable on the surface and finding his game a little more.”

Fourth seed Rafael Nadal eased past American veteran Vince Spadea 6-4 6-3 6-0 on Centre Court.

The 19-year-old, newly-crowned French Open champion, gained in confidence as the match went on and delighted the crowd with his trademark, fierce cross-court forehand winners.

The 27th seed Richard Gasquet – who could meet Nadal in a mouth-watering third round tussle – kept on course with a 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Andy Roddick will avoid such a tall order in the second round after Italian Daniele Bracciali overcame giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic in a five-set epic.

Roddick swept past Czech Jiri Vanek 6-1 7-6 6-2 and must have expected a Queen’s Club final rematch with the 6ft 10ins Karlovic.

But despite hammering a new Wimbledon record of 51 aces, Karlovic was edged out 12-10 in the final set by Bracciali, who also struck 31 aces himself.

However, Roddick’s mind is already filling with the prospect of a third consecutive Wimbledon meeting with world number one and hot favourite Roger Federer.

Roddick has lost to the Swiss star in each of the last two years and knows that it is against his great rival that his own career will be judged.

“Roger is playing well and we have mirrored each other in preparation for the last three years but I have just come up short against him,” Roddick said.

“I have to get there. Maybe Roger can look ahead to the semis and final – but I have to get through my second round and so on. But I feel like I am playing as well if not better than last year.”

Roddick roared through the first set in just 19 minutes against the Czech world number 97 before a rare lapse in the second briefly put his opponent a break up and ultimately forced the tie-break.

But after taking a tight breaker 7-4 Roddick recovered his poise to rocket through the third set, taking his ace count for the afternoon to 14 – including one which registered 141mph on the tennis Richter Scale.

Roddick added: “A lot of people have improved and that makes it tougher. But I feel I have a good shot here on this surface.

“I’m working hard, I’m putting in a lot of effort and at the end of the day that is what you try to ask of yourself.”

Former French Open finalist Guillermo Coria got to grips with grass at last with an emphatic 6-1 6-2 6-2 win over German Tomas Behrend.