Tennis: Rusedski and Henman set for showdown
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Your support makes all the difference.Greg Rusedski swept aside Sweden's Magnus Norman 6-4, 6-2 in under an hour in Vienna last night to stay on course for a semi-final against his fellow Briton Tim Henman in the CA Trophy.
The British No 1 proved too powerful for Norman and comfortably set up a last-eight meeting with the American Todd Martin today. Henman had earlier beaten Swedish doubles specialist and qualifier, Jan Apell, 6-3, 6-3 and he now faces Karol Kucera of Slovakia.
If they both win today the British players will meet for the first time since Henman beat Rusedski in last year's national championships in Telford.
Rusedski broke Norman's service in the third game of the opening set and it proved decisive. The next six games went with serve and Rusedski, leading 5-4, served out.
Norman, who beat the world No 1, Pete Sampras, in the third round of this year's French Open, was broken by Rusedski in the third game of the second set which gave the Briton a 2-1 lead. When Rusedski achieved a third break to take a a 4-1 lead, the Swede was looking thoroughly demoralised.
Rusedski held serve to lead 5-1, and although Norman avoided losing his serve for a third successive time, it did not delay defeat for too long. Britain's world No 4, who won the Swiss Indoors event in Basle on Sunday, made no mistake in serving powerfully to wrap up victory.
Henman admitted Rusedski's recent surge up the world rankings is helping him in his own quest to break into the world's top 10. "It's a healthy rivalry. We're pushing each other higher and higher in the rankings and now it's Greg's turn to lead the way."
Martin, who beat Henman on his way to the Wimbledon semi-finals in 1996, beat the sixth seed and former world No 1, Thomas Muster, 6-4, 3-6, 6- 4.
Goran Ivanisevic, the third seed from Croatia, hammered down 19 aces as he beat the American Chris Woodruff 6-4, 7-6 in just under an hour and half. Ivanisevic now plays Bohdan Ulihrach, of the Czech Republic, and the other quarter-final pits another Swede, Magnus Larsson, against the 1996 Wimbledon champion, Richard Krajicek.
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