There was a point in Patrick Rafter's four-set win over Thomas Johansson yesterday when, for the first time, the serve-and-volley game that has been working increasingly well at this Wimbledon, came under telling pressure. He had just lost the third set tie-breaker 7-4 and Johansson, playing his best tennis of the match, had two break points on Rafter's first service game of the fourth.

Rafter, who had started the match excellently, racing into a 5-0 lead in the first set before a brief rain break, temporarily appeared not to be invincible, as the predominantly baseline Swede began to find his mark with his passing shots.

But the Australian seemed to summon up some extra willpower, saw off the initial threat and a third break point that followed with the subtlest of volleys, won the game and accelerated to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 victory.

It was his determination not to let the balance of power slip, even when Johansson was straining every sinew to snatch it from his grasp, which is beginning to make people think Rafter is a genuine contender for the men's title.

Afterwards, though, the Bermuda resident revealed he had gone into the match with a relatively simple game plan.

"I felt like I just wanted to get the ball back over,'' he said. "Thomas is not playing as well as he was a year ago, so I was just thinking about getting the ball back and into play.

"I was a little annoyed not to close it out in the third; he didn't have a lot of opportunities on my serve before but quite often that sort of thing happens when you come to a tie-break. It's a little bit frustrating.

"But I kept it together and I think that was important. I knew I would have another opportunity to break him in the fourth set.'' The win set up Rafter for an intriguing quarter-final tie against a man the home crowd has begun to take to their hearts since they discovered he has a British passport as well as a German one.

Alexander Popp, 6 ft 7in tall, was born in Wolverhampton in the English Midlands, but did most of his growing after being relocated to Germany at a tender age. He has come from nowhere to make the last eight.

Yesterday, the lanky world number 163 moved comfortably into a two-set lead against Marc Rosset of Switzerland, lost the next two but recovered in time to take the last.

Asked what he knew about him, Rafter replied, dead-pan: "He's big. It seemed to me he serves pretty well. I saw a little bit today and he passed well and returned well. He doesn't look as though he's going to serve and volley though.'' Imposing figure as Popp presents, Rafter remains on a collision course for a semi-final meeting with fellow Australian juggernaut Mark Philippoussis, a clash that on the evidence so far could shake Centre Court to its rafters, no pun intended.

Philippoussis is running on previously undiscovered reserves of gas, happily wearing down Tim Henman in another five-setter yesterday to add to his record-breaking encounter with Sjeng Schalken on Saturday.

Philippoussis has to find his way past the small matter of Andre Agassi first, but Rafter said yesterday: "It's great for Australian tennis.'' Rafter also became involved in somewhat of a storm in a teacup after Pete Sampras, surprisingly over-sensitive, accused his fellow players of thinking he was feigning his foot injury.

Rafter said: "There have been some comments passed in the locker room. But all in all I think Pete's pretty genuine.'' Pat Rafter: looking focused on his way to a fourth-round victory over Thomas Johansson at Wimbledon yesterday.