• AEGON Championship

Djokovic and Roddick both sent crashing out

Dudi Sela sealed victory over Andy Roddick with a diving volley © Getty Images

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Andy Roddick's bid for a fifth win at Queen's came to a shuddering halt, as he was sent crashing out of the AEGON Championship at the third-round stage by Dudi Sela who claimed a 6-4 7-6(8) win, while there was also disappointment for Novak Djokovic.

Roddick cut a somewhat frustrated figure throughout and came up against a player who was full of invention and not afraid to chance his arm.

Sela showed his quality in the first game by driving a glorious backhand down the line for a clean winner and it set the tone for the match. The Israeli worked an early break and never let the advantage slip and his efforts were summed up when drawing Roddick in and playing an exquisite topspin lob.

Roddick came under pressure in the second set and needed to find a fantastic low volley to stave off a break and did the same with an ace in the 11th game.

Sela held serve with ease in the 12th game to take the set into a breaker. Roddick secured an early mini-break, but his desire to run round his backhand did not aid the American as he opened up the court for Sela to hit a winning forehand into the open court.

Sela is not a power player by any means, but his court craft appeared to frustrate Roddick who hit a string of unforced errors - notably a backhand volley which went wide at set point.

But it was more a case of Sela winning the match than Roddick losing it and it was appropriate that a full length diving volley for a winner secured his passage into the quarter finals.

World No. 3 Djokovic suffered a shock 6-3 4-6 6-2 defeat against Xavier Malisse, who had won just five of his 15 matches in 2010 coming into the clash. The Serb was unable to make any impression on the Malisse serve, winning just seven points against the first delivery over the three sets.

Newly-installed world No. 1 Rafael Nadal survived a second-set scare before eventually battling back to defeat Denis Istomin 7-6(4) 4-6 6-4. The Spaniard, who has won each of his last four tournaments, required attention from the trainer at the end of the middle set.

Rafael Nadal was forced to battle © Getty Images

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Michael Llodra is on course to face Andy Murray in the quarter-finals after he surprisingly sent fifth seed Marin Cilic tumbling out by triumphing 7-6(2) 6-2. Elsewhere, Sam Querrey and Feliciano Lopez, the No. 7 and eight seeds respectively, eased into the quarter finals with wins over Marcel Granollers and Julien Benneteau respectively.

Roger Federer continued to bounce back from his French Open disappointment at the Gerry Weber Open, where he won his 27th consecutive match at the tournament by crushing Alejandro Falla 6-2 6-2. The top seed, who was knocked out in the quarter-final at Roland Garros, won 90% of the points on his first serve as he totally dominated the 51-minute second-round clash.

Sixth seed Jurgen Melzer went one better than Federer at the French Open, reaching the semi-final, but he will not be repeating that success in Halle after being dumped out 3-6 7-6(2) 7-6(3) by wildcard entrant Mischa Zverev.

Nikolay Davydenko, playing in his first tournament for three months after breaking his wrist, will also play no further part in the competition after slumping to a 6-3 6-4 defeat against Benjamin Becker.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.