They've played eight times previously, and Hewitt holds a 6-2 career edge, including 3-0 in Grand Slam matches. One of those was a 2001 quarter-final, in which Roddick lost his temper after a fifth-set overrule by the chair umpire.

Hewitt went on to win that U.S. Open on his way to No. 1. Roddick would win the tournament two years later, also a step toward the top of the rankings. Both have slipped since: Roddick is seeded ninth here, Hewitt 15th.

``Both of us are in the same boat in a lot of ways,'' Hewitt said. ``We both know what to expect from one another's games. We've played enough times. We've played enough big matches, as well. At the end of the day, it's going to be who can execute well on Wednesday, and who does that best is going to win.''

Tuesday afternoon was a washout for the men: 2000 champion Marat Safin led 14th-seeded German Tommy Haas 2-1 in the first set, and No. 7 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia led No. 17 Andy Murray of Britain 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, when rain came, postponing those matches until Wednesday. No. 5 James Blake's match against No. 12 Tomas Berdych didn't even get started.

Roddick will certainly have home-court advantage against Australia's Hewitt, and this edge, too: Already bothered by a knee injury, Hewitt had to work a lot harder in the fourth round. While Roddick finished off German qualifier Benjamin Becker _ the man who beat Andre Agassi _ in a three-set match that finished at about 5 p.m. ET Monday, Hewitt didn't get out of the USTA National Tennis Center until after 2 a.m. Tuesday.

Hewitt won the first two sets against No. 25 Richard Gasquet, then went into a funk. By the time they were done, with Gasquet clutching his cramping right thigh between points, Hewitt had won 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3. It lasted more than 3{ hours, ending at 12:53 a.m.

Will that have a lingering effect on Hewitt's knee, which he said bothered him off-and-on against Gasquet?

``I hope not,'' Hewitt said. ``We'll see what happens.''

Back in 2001, on the first point of what would be the final game, Roddick hit a forehand that a linesman called good, but the chair umpire called out, even though the ball landed on the sideline farthest from his chair. Roddick let loose with a racket-slamming, body-twisting tantrum _ ``Are you an absolute moron?!'' he yelled at the umpire _ and five points later, the match was over.

Odds are, there won't be any sort of similar display this time, and not merely because Roddick has learned to manage his emotions much better on court. Nowadays, there's recourse for players who feel they've been robbed: An instant replay system is making its Grand Slam debut at the U.S. Open.

Something else that's new, for Roddick: He's been playing with a lot more confidence since recently teaming up with Jimmy Connors.

``The passion he brings to the court is huge. It's contagious,'' said Roddick, who owns a 10-match winning streak that began at the Cincinnati Masters. ``But first and foremost I get the opportunity on a daily basis to have information from one of the greatest players that ever played.''