German veteran Tommy Haas demanded Wimbledon install floodlights and introduce final set tiebreakers after winning a marathon five-set third round clash over Marin Cilic on Saturday. The 31-year-old German beat 11th seeded Croatian 7-5, 7-5, 1-6, 6-7 (3/7), 10-8 in a four and a half hour tie which had started on Friday afternoon but had been held over for bad light.
"I don't know why they don't have lights here. I have never stopped a match a 6-6 before in the final set. It's tough to come back but I'm happy to get through," said Haas. "I think they should be like the US Open and have a tie-break in the final set. I could hardly get out of bed today, but the adrenaline took over."
Haas, who won the Halle grasscourt tournament on the eve of Wimbledon, will now face Russian 29th seed Igor Andreev who saw off Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) in another match held over. Haas did have two match points in the third set tie-break on Friday before 20-year-old Cilic had two match points of his own in the 12th game of the decider before play was halted.
Tomas Berdych, the Czech 20th seed, pulled off his first win over Russian 12th seed Nikolay Davydenko, after eight defeats, with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 triumph. Berdych, a quarter-finalist in 2007, faces either two-time runner-up Andy Roddick or Jurgen Melzer of Austria for a place in the quarter-finals.
Later Saturday, British third seed Andy Murray faces Serbian 30th seed Viktor Troicki as he continues his bid to become the first home men's champion since Fred Perry in 1936. Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, faces unseeded German Philipp Petzschner.
If he comes through, Hewitt will face Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, the 23rd seed, who defeated Spain's David Ferrer, the 16th seed, 7-5, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4.
RESULTS Wimbledon results on Saturday, the sixth day of the 2009 championships (x denotes seeding):
MEN (THIRD ROUND): Igor Andreev (RUS x29) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/5); Tomas Berdych (CZE x20) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x12) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; Radek Stepanek (CZE x23) bt David Ferrer (ESP x16) 7-5, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4; Tommy Haas (GER x24) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x11) 7-5, 7-5, 1-6, 6-7 (3/7), 10-8
WOMEN (THIRD ROUND): Ana Ivanovic (SRB x13) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS x18) 7-5, 6-2; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x9) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP x20) 6-2, 6-2; Venus Williams (USA x3) bt Carla Suárez (ESP) 6-0, 6-4; Melanie Oudin (USA) bt Jelena Jankovic (SRB x6) 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 6-2.
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