Max Mosley: Formula One critics danced on my grave too quickly

Max Mosley has hit back at his Formula One enemies, and claimed his career at the top of international motorsport may not be over.

Mosley was obliged to quit as president of the FIA, world motor racing’s governing body, as part of a dramatic trade-off to secure the future of Formula One last week.

But he has been left furious by the aftermath of those negotiations – accusing his rivals within the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) of “dancing on my grave.”

Mosley had agreed not to stand for re-election in October, although that understanding now appears in doubt.

"They made the mistake of dancing on my grave before I was buried," said Mosley. "It's no good the teams getting a PR agency to claim I am dead and buried when I am standing here as large as life. I am under pressure now from all over the world to stand for re-election,” he told the Mail on Sunday.

"I do genuinely want to stop. But if there is going to be a big conflict with the car industry, for example, with the FOTA teams, then I won't stop. I will do whatever I have to do. It's not in my nature to walk away from a fight."

Mosley’s portrayal as a dictator has riled him immensely, and for that he blames Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo.

“By going home to Italy and telling the Italian media that they had toppled the dictator, di Montezemolo has tried to make it sound like I sit here and just decide what's going to happen," said Mosley. "It's absolutely not true.

“I can't do anything unless the WMSC agree and there are 26 members, mostly presidents of important motorsport clubs from all over the world. All these rules that I am supposed to have dictated have been voted on by those people. To say that I run a dictatorship is nonsense.

“I don't really expect Luca will apologise or withdraw in the way that he should," said Mosley. "Yet, on the other hand, within the motor sport world nobody takes him seriously. He's seen as what the Italians call a "bella figura". He's chairman of Fiat but the serious individual who runs it is Sergio Marchionne, and I don't suppose he takes much notice of Luca."

Chambers triumphs in Holland

Dwain Chambers continued his winning streak on European soil in recent weeks when winning the 100m at the Mondo Keien meeting.

Chambers was hoping to run under 10 seconds and possibly approach the Dutch all-comers' record of 9.97 seconds set by Churandy Martina in Hengelo at the beginning of June.

But despite the brand-new surface laid by the sponsors, the bid never materialised and Chambers won in a time of 10.22secs.

The 31-year-old, who scored a sprint double at last weekend's European Team Championships and ran 10.16secs in Nantes, France on Wednesday, beat former Commonwealth champion Kim Collins who clocked 10.42secs.

Jessica Ennis, a genuine heptathlon gold medal prospect at the World Championships in August, also showed top form at a German meeting in Bottrop.

Ennis, who has been rewriting all of her personal bests in recent weeks, continued in the same vein of form when flying to a superb 100m hurdles time of 12.81secs.

The world-class display and victory saw the 23-year-old who missed last summer's Olympic Games with a foot injury decimate her previous best set last month of 12.93secs.

Olympic silver medallist Phillips Idowu defeated his nemesis Nelson Evora at the Grand Prix of Andalucia meeting in Malaga on Saturday night.

Idowu lost the gold medeal in Beijing to his Portuguese rival last summer and was narrowly beaten by him at last weekend's European Team Championships.

His winning distance of 17.05m was not spectacular but was far better than that of Evora, who produced a poor leap of 16.49m, just ahead of European siver medallist Nathan Douglas.

Pellegrini reclaims 400metres record

Federica Pellegrini reclaimed her 400metres freestyle world record at the Mediterranean Games in Pescara.

The Italian completely dominated her race and touched in four minutes 00.41 seconds to lower Joanne Jackson's mark set in March this year by 0.25secs, subject to ratification.

Pellegrini, the Olympic 200m freestyle champion, had previously held the record before the Briton eclipsed it by almost a second with Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington also ducking under the old mark.

It sets up a fascinating race at the World Championships in Rome next month with both British women showing top form at this weekend's Scottish National Championships.

Although Adlington has yet to confirm her place over eight lengths in Rome, it is inconceivable the 20-year-old will not race in the event.

Spofforth claims third British title

British backstroke queen Gemma Spofforth romped to her third title at the British Gas Scottish National Championships.

The 21-year-old won the 100metres backstroke at Glasgow's Tollcross Park Leisure Centre in 59.56 seconds, half a second outside her own British record.

However, the time was easily fast enough to ensure she and British champion Lizzie Simmonds will represent Great Britain in both the 100m and 200m at the World Championships, which start in Rome next month.

Spofforth has been one of the stars of the Scottish Championships, smashing the British 50m and 200m records in the first two days.

She was being tipped to topple even the 100m world record tonight but she insisted that could wait.

"I just came in today to have a little bit of fun," said Spofforth, who was under pressure to qualify for the worlds this week after missing March's British Championships in Sheffield.

"The world record was kind of on the cards.

"But we'll save that to Rome.

"(London) 2012 has been my goal all along; 2008 was just a bonus.

"So, 2012, we're hoping for the world record and if it comes down any time before then, it'll be a bonus."

Spofforth was the headline act on Saturday night after double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington withdrew from the 400m freestyle this morning due to asthma.

The 20-year-old had all but secured her place in Rome for the event after she and Jo Jackson produced the fastest women's 400m in history in Sheffield.

Saturday night's final was won by Sasha Matthews in four minutes 11.65 seconds almost 11 seconds slower than the target time set by Adlington.

It also emerged on Saturday that Federica Pellegrini had reclaimed the 400m world record from Jackson, who elected not to race the event in Glasgow.

The most thrilling race on Saturday night was undoubtedly the men's 200m individual medley, which saw Joseph Roebuck edge Lewis Smith by just one-hundreth of a second, taking his rival's place in Rome in the process.

Roebuck, who won the 200m butterfly yon Friday, clocked a personal-best 2:00.92.

"I always miss out on touches but managed to get it this time," said the 23-year-old, who suffered the agony of missing out on Olympic qualification last year.

Smith arrived in Glasgow provisionally qualified in three events but could find himself out of the team completely if he fails to win the 400m IM tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, it's going to be third time lucky and I should be on the team," said a confident Lewis, who also made a PB in the 200m.

Simon Burnett was arguably the most relieved swimmer of the night after taking the 50m free and snatching a place on the plane to Rome.

The 100m Commonwealth champion, 26, won that event here on Thursday but not quickly enough for a spot on the Great Britain team.

But he stormed to victory over half the distance tonight in 22.32secs.

Burnett, who was disqualified from the event in Sheffield, said: "I exorcised that demon. This morning, when I was on the block, I was thinking about it.

"Tonight, I just tried to think whatever happens, happens."

Like Spofforth, Jemma Lowe's university commitments in Florida prevented her competing in Sheffield.

But she was forced to endure double heartbreak after winning the women's 200m fly but not quickly enough to oust Hannah Miley from the team.

"It's very frustrating but I gave it my best and I had nothing left at the end there," said Lowe, who also failed to qualify for the 100m despite winning Thursday's final.

"The best thing now is to try to get over it and come back again."

Marco Loughran was unable to achieve 200m backstroke qualification 24 hours after securing his 100m spot, despite winning the event tonight.

Darren Mew won the 100m breastroke but was unable to top Kristopher Gilchrist's time from Sheffield.

In the final two events of the night, Lowri Tynan won the women's 50m breaststroke in 32.50secs.

And the evening ended on a high when David Davies dipped just below his British record in the men's 800m free, with the new mark 7:50.49.

Perfect ten for Cook in Wales

Controversy surrounded proceedings as Nicole Cook claimed a remarkable 10th National Road Race Championships title.

But the victory was marred when Lizzie Armitstead had the silver medal in the senior race snatched from her when about to have the medal put over her neck.

Armitstead, from Otley, just pipped Olympic Games Time Trial silver medalist Emma Pooley to second place but had the compensation of becoming the British Under-23 champion.

However, after a conference with British Cycling officials, she was told that she could not have two medals in the same race, was dropped from the senior presentation and walked away from the stage in disgust.

When it was explained to the expectant crowd, boos rang out and Cooke took the microphone to say: "I'm sad that this has happened because I won the senior title when I was Under-23.

"It is common sense that Lizzie should be here with us."

Fourth placed Catherine Williamson, who rides in Italy and had an outstanding afternoon in the Welsh sun, was promoted to bronze.

Williamson was outstanding all afternoon, going clear early on in the 80 mile ride around the Welsh countryside and staying there for an hour until Cooke, Armitstead and Pooley caught her.

But, instead of going backwards and sinking away, she fought back and was just 20 seconds behind winner Cooke at the end.

However, it was the Welsh woman's day and she added: "It's very special to win here. It would be incredible regardless of it being the 10th time because it is an opportunity to win the British Championships."

Earlier, teenager George Atkins won his first career race by taking the National Junior Championships title ahead of the Isle of Man's Tim Kennaugh, who is a great friend of new British sensation Mark Cavendish, with Glendene's Joe Perrett in third.

Atkins said: "I'm relieved because I needed a big result today. Tim's a great rider and, every time he goes up the road, you get a bit worried.

"But I got away with Joe and we really got shifting."

Wimbledon 2009: Andy Murray destroys Serbia's Viktor Troicki

The way that Viktor Troicki was playing on Centre Court, he would have lost to Fred Perry's statue, never mind to the man who is attempting to become the first home champion since Perry in 1936.

With Troicki struggling with nerves on the grass at the All England Club, and with Andy Murray playing some superb tennis, the Briton won a one-sided third-round match in straight sets, and perhaps the only disappointment for the 15,000 spectators was that, as the world No 3 reached the second week of the Wimbledon fortnight, he had been playing indoors, not outdoors, on Centre Court.

The tennis public had been keen to see Murray competing under a closed Centre Court roof, which would have made Britain's world No 3 one of the first two players to compete indoors at Wimbledon. Still, they could have played this outdoors, indoors, in any sort of weather conditions, and Murray would still have obliterated Troicki, as the 22-year-old was in that sort of mood, making the most of his opponent's poor start, poor middle and poor end to the match. Troicki came a very distant second, and at one stage he let out a great yelp, a cry for help that would have carried up and out of the open-air stadium, all the way up the hill, past St Mary's Church and into Wimbledon Village. The message was this: 'I'm a tennis player, get me out of here'. Murray won 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in just over one and a half hours.

The only previous occasion that Troicki, the Serbian No 2 and the world No 30, had been on Centre Court, he had been in the stands, when he watched Roger Federer beating Andy Roddick in the 2004 final. And the 23-year-old, who is allergic to grass, is unlikely to want to come back to the stadium anytime soon if this is what happens to him on court. Even if a member of the All England Club ground staff had crept up behind Troicki during the pre-match warm-up, and had tipped a bag of grass cuttings over his head, he would hardly have looked more discombobulated out there than against Murray. Of course, Murray could have hardly have looked more settled. He hasn't played anywhere else during this year's tournament, and it is unlikely that he will feature anywhere else for the rest of the Championships either. For Murray, Centre Court is Wimbledon. For Troicki, Centre Court is where he had a primetime humiliation.

Murray's win over the Serbian No 2 took him through to play Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland's No 2 and the world No 18, who won an Olympic gold medal at last year's doubles competition, partnering his friend Roger Federer to the title. Wawrinka, who yesterday came from a set down for a four-set victory over American qualifier Jesse Levine, has equalled his best run at Wimbledon by reaching the fourth round, having also made the last 16 last summer. Murray has won four of his seven career meetings with Wawrinka, including a fourth-round match at last season's US Open, but tomorrow will be the first occasion that they have played on grass.

When Murray's match against Troicki began, shortly after 6pm, it was under dark grey skies, and the yellow numbers on the scoreboard were glowing. A few spots of rain suggested that a more serious downpour was possibly on the way, wet weather that would have seen the £100 million roof being used for the first time during a match. But, if the skies brightened up as the match continued, Troicki's tennis didn't. Still, at least the player from the Balkans did better than he had done when they met at the tournament on cement in Miami this year, when he only managed to take one game off Murray. The previous two occasions that Murray defeated Troicki, at an indoor hard-court tournament in St Petersburg last season and then at the Miami tournament, the Briton went on to win the title. But winning the St Petersburg and Miami titles don't quite compare with trying to win a tournament that the Americans sometimes call 'The Big W'.

For the second match in succession, following on from his defeat of Latvia's Ernests Gulbis on Thursday, Murray played magnificently, and his opponent simply didn't know how to handle the class off the Scot's strings.

New Zealand 27-6 Italy

New Zealand battled to victory against a dogged Italy in Christchurch on Saturday.

It was not pretty and followed two average performances against the French which will have coach Graham Henry, who read the riot act at half-time, concerned heading into the Tri-Nations tournament against Australia and South Africa which begins next month.

New Zealand scored just one try - through Joe Rokocoko - in the first half to lead 13-3 after a shaky opening 40 minutes.

Further tries for Isaac Ross and his Crusaders team-mate George Whitelock - on debut - finally gave the home side some breathing space but it was far from a vintage performance against a team they have hammered in recent encounters.

Italy coach Nick Mallett and captain Sergio Parisse got their wish for a competitive 80-minute performance and a good defensive effort, and will leave their tour of Australasia content despite failing to get a win against either Australia or the All Blacks.

Ross was a shining light and for a man making just his third international appearance, showed the composure of a veteran.

Much of the focus heading into the match was on the teams' respective fly-halves Luke McAlister and Craig Gower.

McAlister, playing his first match at number 10 for the All Blacks since the 2007 World Cup game against Romania, did not start well, with wayward kicking, poor handling had errant passing in a nervy opening spell.

But he gradually settled into the role, his cross-field kick creating the try for Rokocoko, who finally broke a tryless run of seven Tests.

Gower, in just his third international start since switching from rugby league, showed plenty of potential, willing to take the line on and kicking well for territory as the Italians dominated that phase of the game.

Going into the game Parisse had called on his players to man-up on defence and they did that, forcing errors from the All Blacks, who never really fired for the whole match.

The Italians, though, were unable to get across the All Blacks line with their points coming from the boot of fullback Luke McLean.

McAlister opened the scoring with a penalty in the eighth minute when Parisse was caught offside.

McLean missed a chance to level the score after 21 minutes and the home side extended their lead when Rokocoko collected McAlister's cross-field kick and forced his way past McLean and New Zealand-born Kaine Robertson to touch down in the left corner.

McAlister added the conversion and then slotted another penalty three minutes later to stretch the lead to 13-0.

The Italians finally got on the board eight minutes before the break when Ma'a Nonu was penalised for killing the ball and McLean slotted the three-pointer.

But he could not repeat the feat just before half-time leaving the visitors trailing by 10 points.

Kieran Read was denied a try in the 50th minute when television match official George Ayoub ruled that McLean had been taken out by All Blacks debutant wing Lelia Masaga chasing the loose ball near the try line.

McLean then slotted his second penalty for the first points of the second half.

The All Blacks did not have to wait long for another try, though, with Ross ambling in under the posts after 56 minutes after Isaia Toeava broke the first line of defence and then fed the pass to the lock to grab his first international try - and at his home ground. McAlister added the extras.

The fly-half was slotting over another two-pointer 10 minutes later after Whitelock's try.

Ross, who looks more assured in the black jersey each week, sparked the move with a burst up field, brushing off tacklers left and right before the ball found its way to the substitute loose forward who juggled it a couple of times before diving over.

The Italians remained resolute to the end, stopping Piri Weepu just short of the line on the stroke of full-time as the All Blacks pressed for a fourth try.

Australia 22-6 France

Australia issued a warning to their rivals ahead of the Tri-Nations series by posting a convincing win over France at ANZ Stadium.

Matt Giteau scored the only try of the night and kicked a perfect six of six with the boot in another commanding performance, while man of the match George Smith dominated at the breakdown.

Having opened up a seven-point buffer at the break, the Wallabies applied the blowtorch to the visitors with Giteau adding four penalties in the opening 17 minutes to put the result beyond doubt.

The hosts continued to press in front of 43,588 fans, but a combination of committed French defence and poor handling prevented a blow-out.

The Wallabies showed their willingness to attack from the opening whistle but Drew Mitchell was unable to ground the ball in the second minute of play.

Australia survived an early scare of their own when France captain Thierry Dusautoir charged down Giteau's clearing kick, but the fly-half recovered well and won the race to the ball to defuse a dangerous situation.

French fly-half Lionel Beauxis failed to make the Wallabies pay for an early indiscretion missing a simple penalty shot in the 13th minute before also spraying an attempted field-goal three minutes later.

The Wallabies finally broke the deadlock with an enterprising try in the 17th minute.

Giteau found Mortlock who passed immediately to Lachie Turner to slip past Cedric Heymans before throwing a one-armed ball inside for Berrick Barnes who found Giteau backing up for the converted try and a 7-0 lead.

Beauxis sent his kick-off sailing into touch at the re-start but he made amends with a penalty goal to trim the deficit to 7-3 at the midway point of the opening stanza.

Giteau's 28th-minute penalty re-established a seven-point buffer at the break.

Maxime Mermoz sent an early shudder through the Wallabies camp when he swooped on a Luke Burgess pass and set sail for the try-line two minutes in, but the French number 12 was denied a certain five-pointer after he was ruled offside at the breakdown.

Giteau made no mistake with the penalty shot to make it 13-3 the Wallabies' way.

The hosts continued to dominate proceedings as Giteau added three more penalty-goals to hand his side a commanding 22-3 lead after 57 minutes.

Les Bleus' decision to settle for a gift three points rather than chance their arm with 19 minutes remaining was a telling sign the effects of a torrid series against the All Blacks had finally caught up with them.

To their credit the visitors stuck to the task as both sides failed to trouble the scoreboard attendants in a scrappy conclusion to the contest.

South Africa 28 British and Irish Lions 25

South Africa 28 British & Irish Lions 25: Read a full match report from the British & Irish Lions' second Test at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, on June 27, 2009.

Has there ever been a game like it? This was one of the great matches of all time, a drama which defined how good Test rugby can be.

South Africa won it with the last kick of the match to take the series 2-0 but, frankly, victory seemed an irrelevance after such a pulsating occasion.

It was also a match that brought the brutal nature of international rugby into horrible relief. Both teams suffered a catalogue of nasty injuries. Andries Bekker, a Bok replacement, suffered a sickening accidental blow to the head, while the Lions finished with a makeshift front row and a makeshift midfield as the men in the starting positions were forced off with broken bodies.

At times the commitment of both sides bordered on the insane and five Lions were last night en route to hospital. “We think there are some significant issues but we don’t know the full extent yet,” head coach Ian McGeechan said afterwards. How they will get a side out for the third Test is beyond me.

In the first half the Bok bully boys were bullied themselves as the Lions raced to a 16-8 lead, reversing all the frailties of the first Test.

They were strong in the tackle, strong in the scrum, strong in the faces of the Springbok big men. Simon Shaw had an immense match but the entire Lions team can take credit for their effort. Staring at humiliation as the Boks imperiously drove the first kick off, the Lions rallied superbly to frighten the world champions to death.

They were also true to the spirit of the sport. Some of the rugby the Lions played

in that first half was mesmerising. Rob Kearney, all bristling energy and class, started umpteen attacks from deep within Lions territory and the Springboks appeared flaky every time the Lions midfield ran at them.

All of head coach Ian McGeechan’s changes were working at this stage. Luke Fitzgerald defended bravely to frustrate JP Pietersen and Shaw was simply marvellous.

And then came the moment all South Africa was waiting for. The action was so fluid, so wonderfully frenetic that it was fully 16 minutes into the match before the first scrum was signalled. It came with the Bok put-in. As the packs collided, a country held its breath, ready to exhale it in an elongated cry of “Beeeeaaasst”, but the Welsh front row held firm.

At the very next scrum, Adam Jones popped the Beast out of the top of the front rows. Poor Beast. A legend a week ago, Tendai Mtawarira suddenly seemed very, very ordinary.

And all this occurred after the most explosive of starts. From the kick off, as the Boks looked to drive, Schalk Burger, another icon of Bok ruggedness, threw Fitzgerald out of the maul using his eye socket as a hand hold.

Bryce Lawrence, the tough judge, intervened and Burger was yellow carded, but red was the colour Burger should have seen. It was a decision that turned a Test. Munster’s Alan Quinlan missed a Lions tour and was suspended for 12 weeks for a similar offence in a Heineken Cup fixture. Burger can expect the same punishment when the citing officer examines the video footage.

With Burger off, the Lions piled on the points. Kearney went over for a smart try, Stephen Jones knocked over a penalty and a conversion and the Lions had a 10-point lead. The Boks at this point were on the ropes.

Rattled at the scrummage, their discipline went and they were unable to hold on to the ball long enough to get their driving game going. Ruan Pienaar and Francois Steyn also had an off day kicking penalties.

Indeed, so bad were the Boks generally, so manifestly off their game that an upset looked on the cards. And when Stephen Jones banged over a penalty to give the Lions a 19-8 lead, that possibility tightened even further.

Yet a combination of Bok resilience and Lions’ injuries and fatigue changed the momentum. The Lions lost Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones forcing uncontested scrums and the Boks started to apply pressure.

Their big forwards, Pierre Spies and Juan Smith, started running in the wider channels and the Lions were forced onto the defensive. Mike Phillips brought off a wonderful scrambling tackle on Bryan Habana to save a score but Habana retaliated later by blasting through the Lions midfield after Fourie du Preez had brought him beautifully into the action on an arcing run.

And as the match entered its telling phase so the Lions’ energy levels flagged. It was South Africa who dominated the territory, South Africa who were asking questions of the Lions as they failed to match the tempo and continuity of the first period.

Even so, it took the involvement of the TV official to get the Boks back into the match when Jaque Fourie held off an attempted tackle by Phillips to score in the corner. Morne Steyn, on for Pienaar, knocked over the conversion to give the Boks the lead for the first time with seven minutes of the match remaining.

Even then this remarkable spectacle had further twists. Jones stroked over a penalty to tie the game at 25-25 before Ronan O’Gara, chasing a high ball, was adjudged to have taken out Du Preez in the air. Morne Steyn steadied himself and from 51 metres hurtled the ball through the thin Pretoria air and between the posts to avenge the series defeat in 1997.

“I’m very proud of them,” an emotional McGeechan said of his Lions. “They don’t deserve to be two down.”

It was an entirely justifiable reaction, but the Test and the series had slipped from them and it will be no consolation to know that this game was a privilege to witness.

Match details:

South Africa XV: F Steyn (Sharks), JP Pietersen (Sharks), A Jacobs (Sharks), J de Villiers (Stormers), B Habana (Bulls), R Pienaar (Sharks), F du Preez (Bulls); T Mtawarira (Sharks), B du Plessis (Sharks), J Smit (Sharks), B Botha (Bulls), V Matfield (Bulls), S Burger (Stormers), J Smith (Cheetahs), P Spies (Bulls).
Replacements: J Fourie (Lions) 55 for de Villiers; D Rossouw (Bulls) 58 for Smith; A Bekker (Stormers) 58 for Botha; M Steyn (Bulls) 61 for Pienaar, H Brüssow (Cheetahs) 61 for Rossouw
British and Irish Lions XV: R Kearney (Ireland); T Bowe (Ireland), B O'Driscoll (Ireland), J Roberts (Wales), L Fitzgerald (Ireland); S Jones (Wales), M Phillips (Wales); G Jenkins (Wales), M Rees (Wales), A Jones (Wales), S Shaw (England), P O’Connell (Ireland, capt), T Croft (England), D Wallace (Ireland), J Heaslip (Ireland).
Replacements: A Sheridan (England) 21-30, 45 for Jenkins; A W Jones (Wales) 45 for A Jones; S Williams (Wales) 64 for O’Driscoll; R O’Gara (Ireland) 68 for Roberts; M Williams (Wales) 68 for Wallace
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Attendance: 52,511

Wimbledon 2009: Andy Roddick digs deep to see off Jurgen Melzer challenge

Andy Roddick claimed his place in the last 16 at Wimbledon but not before being put to the test by 26th seed Jurgen Melzer on Centre Court.

The American overcame two tie-breaks and a dropped set to see off his Austrian opponent 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-3 in just under three hours.

Sixth-seeded Roddick had not lost to Melzer in eight previous encounters, and seven of his wins had come in straight sets.

The two-time Wimbledon finalist was only in trouble once in the opening set, holding off two break points in game five with his customary big hitting.

Both players were regularly pounding down serves over the 120mph mark and a tie-break was inevitable in an even contest.

But Melzer crumbled under the pressure in the tie-break, as a mixture of aces from Roddick and errors from the Austrian allowed the former to take a one-set lead.

Big serving continued to dominate the second set, but there were enough rallies, drop shots and passing forehands to ensure the match was an entertaining one.

The only break points of the set fell to Roddick in game nine.

Two aces and a lovely drop shot from Melzer saved those however, and it was not long before another tie-break arrived.

Roddick was again the stronger player, hitting a winning return and capitalising on some poor shots from the Austrian to extend his advantage.

Melzer was on the back foot and he faced three more break points in game four of the third set as Roddick looked for a quick finish.

But the Austrian dug deep to keep the sixth seed at bay, and then found himself with a break point of his own in the next game.

Unlike in the tie-breaks, Melzer held his nerve this time and gained the advantage with a big forehand which Roddick was unable to return.

The American tried hard to get the break back, but Melzer dominated the rest of his service games, claiming the set with a crosscourt backhand.

For the third match in succession at this year's Wimbledon, Roddick had dropped a set, and the American came out fired up at the start of the fourth.

Although he squandered another break point in game two, he broke for the first time in the match two games later when Melzer hit a forehand wide.

The world number 30 refused to give up though, and pulled the break back in the seventh when Roddick also produced a weak forehand.

But with the clouds gathering ominously above Centre Court, Roddick was keen to wrap things up quickly and immediately broke again, drawing Melzer into the net and punishing him with a crosscourt forehand.

That left the American serving for the match and he fittingly sealed the victory with an ace to set up a meeting with Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic.

Wimbledon 2009: Tommy Haas battles past Marin Cilic in five-set epic

Germany's Tommy Haas held off Marin Cilic to win a five-set thriller on Court One and book his place in Wimbledon's fourth round - and then called for floodlights to be installed.

The match, which had been enthralling before bad light interrupted play last night, resumed with the players level at 6-6 in the final set.

A packed crowd had been treated to an epic four-hour contest that swung one way and then the other before darkness fell on Wimbledon, forcing the players to come back today.

When it started up again, both players held serve during the first four games to leave the scores level at 8-8.

But Haas finally engineered a hard-fought victory over the number 11 seed when he broke the Croatian's serve to lead 9-8.

It left the German serving for the match and this time, unlike yesterday evening, he did not squander his opportunity.

Haas allowed two match points to slip through his grasp during last night's epic battle.

Despite a few jitters, he held serve to finally win 7-5, 7-5, 1-6, 6-7 (7/3), 10-8.

The victorious German admitted it had been hard to re-start the match after last night's finish and urged the Lawn Tennis Association to examine the use of floodlighting so matches that run late can be finished.

"It was hard today after using so much adrenaline last night just trying to finish it off," said Haas.

"It got darker and darker and I don't know why they don't have lights here - maybe that is something for the future.

"It has never happened to me before and my opinion is that there should be a tie-break at 6-6 like they do in other grand slams.

"We finished at 9.30pm last night and by the time I got home, had a massage and ate, my body was tired.

"I could hardly get out bed. Tomorrow I have a day off - I need that for sure - and I will be ready to go on Monday. But I am just happy to get through."

The tone for the thrilling contest had been set in the early stages yesterday when Haas, the 24th seed, won the first two sets.

The Croatian ripped into Haas in the third set to triumph 6-1 and then survived two match points in the fourth, which he took on a tie-break.

Cilic moved a break in front and led 3-0 in the deciding set, but against the odds Haas mustered the inner strength to launch another comeback, and he will next face Igor Andreev.

Hewitt go, Hewitt go, Hewitt go

Unseeded Lleyton Hewitt roared into the fourth round of Wimbledon with a straight sets win over Philipp Petzschner.

The 2002 champion reckons he is playing his best tennis for four years and, although that may not be enough to enablethe Australian to bridge the seven-year gap, he is in the last 16 for the sixth year in a row and could become a dangerous semi-final opponent for Andy Murray.

Fresh from his memorable second-round win over fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro and showing no sign of the hip injury that forced him out of tennis for much of last year, Hewitt overcame Germany's Petzschner in straight sets.

Not that there was anything straightforward about his 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 triumph in the noisy cauldron of Court Two, where he lifted the spirits of the green and gold fans who had failed to cheer Australian Sam Stosur to victory over Ana Ivanovic in the women's singles earlier in the day.

It was nip and tuck from the start against the big-serving German who, despite reaching the third round of Wimbledon for the first time, has still lost more matches on grass than he has won.

The 25-year-old Petzschner did not manage to break the serve of his wily opponent and invariably lost out in the baseline rallies.

It was the sixth game before Hewitt won a point on the German's serve and Petzschner produced two aces to claw back a 0-40 deficit when threatened in the eighth game.

The set remained on serve until Petzschner was broken to love in the 12th game which enabled Hewitt to draw first blood.

The German took time out to have his right foot strapped up midway through the second set, which was decided by a breaker in which Petzschner crucially dropped his serve on successive points.

And there was no way back once Petzschner failed to make the most of a couple of break points in the fourth game of the third set.

A trademark passing shot got Hewitt the all-important break in the next game and it was quickly all over, although Petzschner managed to save three match points before putting a backhand into the net.

Hewitt's reward is a fourth-round meeting with Radek Stepanek, the 30-year-old Czech who beat 16th seed David Ferrer in five sets.

Wimbledon 2009: Jelena Jankovic dumped out by Melanie Oudin

Melanie Oudin ended Jelena Jankovic’s Wimbledon championships for another year with a quite brilliant fightback to knock the sixth seed out in three sets 6-7 (10/8) 7-5 6-2.

The teenage American came through qualifying to reach the main draw but is now heading for the last 16 after pulling off a major upset.

Oudin has only played singles at two previous grand slam tournaments, losing in the first round at the 2008 US Open and at this year’s Australian Open.

She had to win three matches just to secure a place in the first round at Wimbledon but that process appeared to have put her in sharper match fitness and familiarity with the surface in south west London.

For Jankovic, defeat means she failed to reach the fourth round of a slam for the first time since the 2006 French Open.

The 24-year-old looked to be struggling fitness-wise during the match and took a long medical time-out at the end of the first set, in which she saved four set points.

Both players had struggled to hold serve, with an early exchange of breaks followed by another which enabled Jankovic to move 5-3 in front.

However Oudin then reeled off the next three games, forced Jankovic to save set point on serve, and the pair eventually went to the tie-break.

Oudin’s big forehand was her obvious weapon and Jankovic was struggling to keep her on the backhand side, which by comparison was weak.

But a missed forehand allowed Jankovic to reach set point and she made no mistake.

Oudin broke at the start of the second set but Jankovic broke back swiftly, and the pattern was then repeated.

A second tie-break seemed likely but Oudin broke in the 11th game and then came back from 0-30 on serve to hold and level the match at one set each.

With Jankovic having seemed unhappy for much of the Court Three clash, it was hardly a surprise when Oudin broke at the start of the third set.

As Jankovic’s challenge crumbled, Oudin held her nerve to book a clash with either Agnieszka Radwanska or Na Li in the fourth round.

Wimbledon 2009: Venus Williams revenge mission sees off Suarez Navarro

Defending Wimbledon champion Venues Williams breezed to a last 16 meeting with Ana Ivanovic after a businesslike 6-0, 6-4 victory over Suarez Navarro and in the process exorcised some demons from the last time the pair had met.

Williams, 29, was unceremoniously bundled out of the Australian Open by unseeded Spaniard Suarez Navarro in the second round in January.

The shock loss was especially galling for Venus as she had led 5-2 in the third set and held a match point before Suarez Navarro claimed her first win over a top 10 player.

But Venus, the third seed, made amends on Saturday in clinical fashion to keep alive her bid to become the first woman to win a hat-trick of Wimbledon singles’ titles since Steffi Graf claimed three in a row from 1991 to 1993.

Williams, who now faces former world number one Ivanovic in the fourth round, said: “I was really enjoying myself out there. She’s a fast and competitive player so I was happy to close it out.

“When you’re winning at Wimbledon there’s not much better than that.”

Venus once again played with her left knee swathed in bandages but was hardly restricted as she eased past Suarez Navarro in one hour and 21 minutes.

The five-time Wimbledon champion has yet to drop a set in three rounds this year and her winning streak at the All England Club has now reached 17 matches.

Suarez Navarro, the world number 34, has already reached two Grand Slam quarter-finals at the tender age of 20, but she never threatened to repeat her Australian Open heroics.

A break for Venus in the opening game set the tone. With memories of that Melbourne defeat driving her on, Williams was quickly 4-0 up and took the set without surrendering a game.

When Venus got an early break in the second set, the contest looked over, but Suarez Navarro won her first game at the ninth attempt and then Venus dropped serve to make it 2-2.

For the first time, Suarez Navarro had managed to test Williams, but it couldn’t last. The former world number one upped her game, broke for a 5-4 lead and served out the match.

Wimbledon 2009: Ana Ivanovic powers past Samantha Stosur as Adam Scott admires

It is the ultimate ‘Australian dilemma’. Do you root for your feisty countrywoman and give it the full: “C’mon, Aussie, C’mon!” Or do you pull for the Serbian babe on the other side of the net, the one voted sexiest sportswoman in the world.

Judging from golfer Adam Scott’s seating arrangements, the choice was a no-brainer.

Scott was positioned on Ana Ivanovic’s side of the gangway. Of course he will not say whether he is dating her or not. It is not so long ago that the mop-haired Aussie was seen with actress Kate Hudson, so he is probably a bit confused.

Ivanovic said: “I’d rather talk about my tennis at the moment. I wouldn’t like to comment on that. It’s great to see familiar faces in your box when you look for support.” As Scott has attended Ivanovic’s previous two matches, we can take that as a “yes”, then.

That’s part of the fun of Wimbledon, working out who is going out with who. A few months ago Ivanovic had the Spaniard Fernando Verdasco on her arm. Now it appears to be Scott. Meanwhile Andy Murray keeps on going steady, hardly adding to the general entertainment at all. Ah, but at least our Andy’s a true Brit.

Abandoned by her fellow countryman, Samantha Stosur was counting Laura Robson among her supporters for her match against Ivanovic. Unfortunately Robson, the British winner of last year’s Wimbledon girls’ title, had to leave after five games. She missed the best of Stosur, who came back from a break down in the first set, and the worst.

We expected Ivanovic to wobble after going a break up. She may have won last year’s French Open to reach the world No 1 spot, but her victims in the semi-final and final were Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina – two green bottles standing on the wall.

Ivanovic is not noted for her nerve either and even said after beating Stosur 7-5, 6-2: “My tactics and my game plan prevailed over my emotions.”

Maybe, but she certainly got a lot of help from the Australian.

Having fought back to 5-5 in the first set, Stosur was being given the full “Let’s go, Sammy” by those loyal green-and-gold wearing Aussies in the crowd. Then at 15-30 Stosur served one of the biggest double faults you will ever see and followed it with another to give away her serve.

You felt for Stosur because she has been through it in recent years. Two years ago she contracted Lyme’s disease, caused by a tick bite. Stosur collapsed and required a spinal tap and an intravenous drip.

On leaving hospital she could barely manage a 20 minute stroll on Sydney beach, but fitness coach Giselle Martin gradually helped her recover her strength.

What Stosur now needs is a backhand coach. Her forehand was brutal at times, and her volleying exquisite, but she kept breaking down on the backhand side. Ivanovic exposed her weakness ruthlessly.

The Serb lacks touch. She looks more like a computer-generated player, a Lara Croft of the courts, but her serve and groundstrokes were too powerful for Stosur.

Afterwards Ivanovic said she could learn a lot from watching Roger Federer. “It looks so easy when he steps on court,” she said. “I was so thrilled for him when he won the French Open. I had little tears in my eyes when he was doing the speech.”

The Serb will have to play like Federer if she is to have any chance against Venus Williams in the next round.

“I think I have a great chance,” Ivanovic said. She must be in love. It is either that or heat exhaustion.

sie, C’mon!” Or do you pull for the Serbian babe on the other side of the net, the one voted sexiest sportswoman in the world.