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By Sean Rudolph
Photo Tony Chang/Chang Photography
(June 10, 2010) A diving Dudi ended Andy Roddick's hopes of a record fifth Aegon Championships title in London today sending the fourth-seeded American crashing out of Queen's Club.
No. 14 seed Dudi Sela shocked four-time Queen's Club champion Roddick, 6-4, 7-6(8), to advance to the Aegon Championships quarterfinals.
Sela saved the lone break point he faced and converted one of six break points. Sela has not surrendered serve in tournament wins over Chris Guccione, Gilles Muller and Roddick. The 25-year-old from Tel Aviv will face German veteran Rainer Schuettler for a spot in Saturday's semifinals. Schuettler moved into the last eight when 11th-seeded Richard Gasquet withdrew due to a knee injury.
Wimbledon runner-up Roddick saw his preparations for the grass-court Grand Slam take a serious hit.
Roddick, who was playing for his 30th career win at Queen's Club and his 30th win of the season, had set points in the second-set tie breaker but could not convert.
At 6-5 in the breaker, Roddick missed a backhand volley, but responded with his 10th ace to take a 7-6 lead. Sela struck a backhand winner to save the second set point.
Roddick ripped a strong second serve to erase a mach point for 8-8, but lined a backhand into the net to hand Sela a second match point.
This time, Sela responded with a diving volley winner to seal the win.
It was the third career win over a top 10 player for the 63rd-ranked Israeli, whose previous top-10 wins came against Fernando Gonzalez (in the 2007 Davis Cup) and David Ferrer (in Beijing in 2008).