TENNIS: The swinging King Salsa replaced the Carousel String Quartet outside the Wimbledon Museum yesterday. The locals were becoming upbeat and Greg Rusedski was the reason. His 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over teenage American Andy Roddick sent him safely into the fourth round. Rusedski's ruthlessly calm win suggests he could even upstage Tim Henman this year.

Billed as a shoot-out between the two biggest servers in the world, the match failed to deliver as Roddick misfired; his youth and inexperience and lack of Centre Court nous meant his game deserted him from the moment the first ball scorched the grass.

Rusedski had punched down a serve at 149 m.p.h. four years ago at Indian Wells, while the 19-year-old American landed a 144 m.p.h. delivery on Wednesday. Like two warring sailing ships passing each other just yards apart, so both players let loose in their first meeting. The Rusedski nerve held.

Roddick, allergic to volleys, and badly mis-hitting his usually ferocious forehand, couldn't get a foot into the match as Rusedski wisely played his solid, big-serve/volley game.

At one stage the teenager put the butt of his racquet to his head like a gun. He knew it. He was self-destructing on the biggest stage in the world and there was nothing he could do.

One service break in the first handed the set to Rusedski 6-3. Another service break, critically in the first game of the second set, again had Roddick chasing as Rusedski impressively held for 6-4.

By then there was little sign of Roddick collecting himself and in the third set he collapsed.

"Greg played very well," said Roddick. "I don't think I helped myself. I definitely didn't hit it well enough. I don't know if it would have made any difference but I could have hit it better. By the time I started returning well it (the match) was pretty much sealed up. Disappointed? Extremely. It's gonna take a lot of hard work."

Rusedski advances along with the only former winner left in the draw, Richard Krajicek, who defeated Andre Agassi's assailant, Paradorn Srichaphan, in three sets. Also through are Australian Mark Philippoussis and Belgian Xavier Malisse, who is Rusedski's next opponent.