by STUART BATHGATE , The Scotsman

At 28 and 26 respectively, the 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt and the two-time runner-up Andy Roddick have been around for some time, and many would suggest that their best days are behind them. But both have been in excellent form in the three rounds they have played to date, and are favourites to win through today. If they do, they will play each other for a place in the semi-final, where Murray is expected to lie in wait.

Hewitt, along with Tomas Berdych the only man yet to drop a set, comes up against No 23 seed Radek Stepanek this afternoon. Ten months on from hip surgery, he is now back close to his best form, as he expected to be.

"After the surgery my surgeon was very confident that I'd get back to full fitness," he said. "I don't think we expected to go out and do a lot of damage in the Australian Open or a couple of my first tournaments back. It was going to be six or 12 months after the operation that I was going to start feeling better and better."

The six grasscourt titles he can boast, including four at Queen's, is a higher total than any active player except Federer. He has won his only two previous meetings with Stepanek, and although the last was all of six years ago, little has changed since to suggest the Czech will get the better of the Australian.

Hewitt is unseeded here, having fallen down the rankings as a result of his enforced break, but he is heading in the right direction. "When I look at the guys in the top five, top ten in the world, I still feel like I'm good enough to be up there," he said after Saturday's win over Philipp Petzschner of Germany. "I think that's probably the motivation. The passion and hunger is still there, definitely. The day it's not there, it's time to hang up the rackets.

"I'm trying to get the best out of myself at the slams. If I'm able to, the ranking will take care of itself. Obviously I'd like to get back into the top 20 as soon as possible."

Still very much inside the top 20 at world No 6, Roddick meets Berdych, the No 20 seed, this afternoon. He has also won the Queen's title four times, and reached the semi-finals of this year's event.

The American had a more difficult third-round match than Hewitt, having been taken to four sets by Jurgen Melzer. Roddick won the first two of those on the tie break, and although Berdych could run him close, the power of his serve on grass should again make the difference.

After beating Melzer, Roddick said the best Tennis he had played at Wimbledon was five years ago, but suggested he could reach the same level later this week. "The best I've played here was probably '04. In '05 I was pretty fortunate to get to the final. I could go through why, but just take my word for it. Lucky to get through second round. Lucky to get through quarters. Had a lucky let cord in the semis. I was fortunate to get through."

In both years, Roddick lost to Federer in the final. Asked if he was in as good form now as he was then, he replied: "Not yet. Not yet. I feel I can play better."

He expects he will have to improve today against Berdych, whom he typified as an inconsistent player who at his best is a tough opponent. "Berdych is streaky. It's rarely middle of the road.

"He's either really good or not so good. Right now you expect to get the best of him with the way he's been rolling through the tournament so far. I think he's a different player in the fourth round of a tournament than he would be in the first or second round.

"So I certainly expect the best of him."

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