Rusedski Set for Fast Show With Roddick

"It's going to be a great match to say the least. I really believe it's a 50-50 call but Greg definitely has the game to give Andy problems," said Andre Agassi yesterday, prefacing today's eagerly awaited second-round match between Roddick and Rusedski.

Certainly Rusedski believes he can win against the 20-year-old American who some bookies have made the 2-1 favourite to win the Wimbledon title ahead of fellow American Agassi.

Roddick, who took on Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert after losing early in the French Open last month, lost horribly against Rusedski in the third round of Wimbledon last year but Gilbert has already woven more than a little magic.

Roddick won the pre-Wimbledon Stella Artois tournament at Queen's, beating Rusedski in the process and equalling the British No2's world-record fastest serve of 149mph.

Roddick, still only 20, expects a close match. "If I win 8-6 in the fifth, I'm going to be ecstatic. If I lose 8-6 in the fifth I'm going to be very upset. And I'm sure Greg would say the same," he said .

Rusedski's crunching straight-sets win over Roddick last year was described by John McEnroe as "one of the finest displays of serve and volleying I have ever seen." Roddick was never in the ballpark, but his victory at Queen's showed just how much he has kicked on since then.

"I'm going to have to improve my level again," said Rusedski, who has played only 10 matches this year after surgery to both his foot and his knee. However, last week's tournament win at Nottingham, his 13th career title, has convinced him that he is back on track.

"I was playing some of the best tennis of my life before I got injured at the US Open last year. I had just won at Indianapolis, and then I lost to Pete Sampras in five sets and he went on to win the US Open. It was a very difficult thing to swallow having the two operations but now I've got a new lease of life," said Rusedski.

He is acutely aware of how important this match is. "I know Lleyton Hewitt's fallen out of our section of the draw but I have to focus on my match," he said. "This is a huge, key match to my Wimbledon chances this year.

"If I can get through that then things start to open up. I have to remember what I did well from the second set at Queen's which I won. I took the game to him and I was aggressive. I played the way I know I can.

"And it's a best-of-five set match which I think favours me a bit. You never get lucky in a best-of-five match. Two out of three sets, funny little things happen; best of five the best man sually wins at the end of the day and there are no excuses."

SW19 showdown

Age

Roddick 20

Rusedski 29

Height

Roddick 6ft

Rusedski 6ft 4in

Seeding

Roddick 5

Rusedski none

Ranking

Roddick 7

Rusedski 81

Grand slams

Roddick 0

Rusedski 0

Runner-up

Roddick 0

Rusedski 1

Tour titles

Roddick 7

Rusedski 13

Grand slam statistics

Aces

Roddick 434 (43)

Rusedski 126 (10)

1st serv

Roddick 63%

Rusedski 62%

points won

Roddick 79%

Rusedski 81%

2nd serv

Roddick 56%

Rusedski 52%

serve games

Roddick 89%

Rusedski 88%

Head to head record - 1:1

2002 Wimbledon third round - Rusedski won 6-3 6-4 6-2

2003 Queen's Club, third round - Roddick won 6-3 4-6 6-4