LONDON - ANDY Murray marked the first appearance for a competitive match of Wimbledon's 80-million-pound (S$192-million) Centre Court roof by clinching a late-night five-set thriller on Monday.

The British third seed defeated brave Swiss 19th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in a fourth round clash, the latest finish in Wimbledon history.

Murray, bidding to end Britain's 73-year wait for a home men's champion, stayed on course for a dream final against five-time winner Roger Federer who eased into his 25th Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) win over Robin Soderling.

Murray will now tackle Spain's former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero while Federer meets giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic.

Wednesday's other quarter-finals will see 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt take on two-time runner-up Andy Roddick while German veteran Tommy Haas faces Serbian fourth seed Novak Djokovic.

Wawrinka, an Olympic gold medallist in doubles at Beijing alongside Federer, was left to rue a host of missed chances which could have made him a straight-sets winner.

'It's very special to be in the quarter-finals but Stan played a great match,' said Murray who basked in the support of 15,000 people beneath the new roof which had been closed earlier in the day because of rain.

'The standard he set at the start was very hard to keep up with. I had plenty of chances but I turned it around in the end. He came up with big shots and in five-set matches, the momentum always shifts.' Federer clinched an 11th win in 11 meetings with Soderling earlier in the day when the roof was open and temperatures reached a scorching 35 degrees.

In a repeat of the French Open final, where Federer claimed a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title, the great Swiss on Monday won 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5).

Federer, chasing a sixth Wimbledon title, now faces Karlovic, who fired down 35 aces in his 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (11/9) win over Spanish seventh seed Fernando Verdasco. 'Today was really a serving contest, there weren't many rallies so it's hard to judge these kind of matches,' said Federer who broke the Soderling serve just once. -- AFP