London, England (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Brit Andy Murray and four- time champion Andy Roddick highlighted Thursday's third-round winners at the $1 million Aegon Championships, a grass-court Wimbledon tune-up.
The U.S. Open runner-up Murray handled 16th-seeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-4 to set-up a quarterfinal against eighth-seeded American Mardy Fish, while a second-seeded Roddick got past fellow four-time Queen's Club champ Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4) in a match that was delayed at the start because of a bomb threat.
Tournament officials said that a spectator discovered a bomb threat message pinned to a wall.
A security sweep revealed nothing, as Roddick and Hewitt chatted at the net during the 20-minute delay.
"Obviously, your concern is making sure everyone is safe," Roddick said.
The big-serving Roddick fired 18 aces at Hewitt in a 1-hour, 40-minute match where neither player could manage a service break. The bout came to a close with a Roddick ace.
The former world No. 1 and two-time major champion Hewitt, seeded 15th this week, was the champion here from 2000-02 and again in 2006. The former top- ranked Roddick titled here from 2003-05 and again in 2007, as he and Hewitt have combined for eight of the last nine championships at this event.
Roddick will face ninth-seeded Croat Ivo Karlovic in Friday's quarters.
The aforementioned Fish erased 10th-seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-4, while the 6-foot-10 Karlovic swatted 19 aces in dousing qualifier and 2007 Queen's Club runner-up Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 6-4.
Meanwhile, 14th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny upended third-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, sixth-seeded James Blake outlasted fellow American Sam Querrey 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain dismissed Belgian qualifier Xavier Malisse 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
Belgian Steve Darcis reached the quarters via walkover when fourth-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils pulled out of the draw, citing a wrist injury.
Friday's other quarterfinals will pit Blake against Youzhny and Darcis versus Ferrero.
The 2009 Aegon Championships winner will collect $117,000.