TNT Sports
Rains halt Henman
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Published 02/07/2003 at 18:25 GMT+1
Rain showers and a dangerous Sebastien Grosjean stalled the Wimbledon charge of Britain's Tim Henman in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Henman, bidding to reach his fifth Wimbledon semi-final in six years, was down two sets to one with his French rival a
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On court one unseeded German Alexander Popp held a surprise two-sets-to-one advantage over Australian Mark Philippoussis, conqueror of world number one Andre Agassi in the fourth round.
Popp took the first two sets 6-4 6-4 but Philippoussis hit back to take the third and fourth 6-3 6-3. The 1.93-metre tall Aussie, a quarter-finalist in 1998, 1999 and 2000, was 2-2 on serve in the fifth when play was suspended.
Just 35 minutes after the end of a two-hour suspension of play (the third one of the day) caused by a heavy storm, the wet weather returned and the tournament referee Alan Mills brought proceedings on Centre Court to a close for the evening.
"It's very frustrating for the players (but) it's very slippery out there now," said Mills.
Weather permitting, the organisers will hope to complete the men's quarter-finals on Thursday as well as the women's semi-finals.
The remaining two men's quarter-finals, Swiss fourth seed Roger Federer vs Dutchman Sjeng Schalken and Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden vs American fifth seed Andy Roddick, will be played tomorrow.
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