WIMBLEDON, England – It was a squeaker that did not feel like one, a close match without many moments of tension. As five-set matches go, Andy Roddick’s victory yesterday over Sebastien Grosjean, his friend and hitting partner, had a personality more befitting a public-park battle than a Wimbledon quarterfinal.

Despite the atmosphere on Centre Court, the match counted, which was good news for Roddick. For the third straight year he finds himself in the semifinals, this time with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win. One more victory and he likely would meet Roger Federer on Sunday in a rematch of last year’s final.

The beginning of the Roddick-Grosjean match was delayed by an uncommon sight at the All England Club this year: a team of ballboys, ballgirls, and grounds crew racing across court with a tarp in tow. There were two rain delays, but both were brief and gave way to sunshine.

When play finally began, Roddick probably would have been pleased if the chair umpire had declared a false start. Trailing 3-2 and 15-40, Roddick made a poor decision by serving and volleying on a second serve. He half volleyed a low return long, and Grosjean closed out the set.

Then the rout began. Roddick won the next two sets in an hour, ceding only three games. He adjusted to Grosjean’s serves, standing a few steps farther back, and no longer found himself tied up mid-swing.

In the fourth set, Roddick saved two break points before Grosjean came up with his best shot of the day, a backhand passing shot crosscourt past Roddick, who had approached behind a deep forehand. After a forehand error by Roddick, it was on to a fifth set.

All the ingredients for a tense final set were there. The wily Grosjean, who had been attacking second serves relentlessly, contrasts nicely with the American flamethrower. Both men had seized and blown opportunities, and one would have expected them to give little ground in what would be the final set of the tournament for one of them.

For Grosjean, a semifinalist here two years running, it was not to be. He sliced a backhand into the middle of the net on break point of his first service game of the fifth, giving Roddick a lead that he would not relinquish.

“I feel like now more than ever I really needed a result like this, for myself, and I’d love to go further,” Roddick said. “It feels good to battle through the last 10 days.”

Standing in Roddick’s way is Sweden’s Thomas Johansson, the 2002 Australian Open champion who prolonged his surprising run here by defeating David Nalbandian yesterday. The 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2 victory took two hours and 17 minutes – barely half an hour less than it took Roddick and Grosjean to play five sets.

Johansson, the no. 12 seed, has slowly recovered from a knee operation that caused him to miss all of 2003. At age 30, he says he now feels stronger than ever.

“I remember the first tournament I played after my injury was Adelaide [in 2004],” he said. “I was practicing for like five, six days. I did not win one set. I said to my coach, ‘I think this is it.'”

Johansson is the sort of consistent, well-rounded player who has given Roddick trouble in the past, as Nalbandian did for five sets at the 2003 U.S. Open semifinals. The American said he knows better than to expect a walkover.

“He doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses,” Roddick said. “But I feel good about the way I’m playing right now.”