The World Cup intruded on Wimbledon on Saturday, with England's penalty shootout loss to Portugal managing to distract fans for a good chunk of the first set of a battle of the two Andys -- Roddick vs. Murray.

Britain's Andy Murray celebrates after defeating Andy Roddick of the U.S. during their match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London July 1, 2006.[Reuters]

The start of the first-set tiebreaker won by Murray coincided with the beginning of the penalty shootout. Some fans who were watching the TV monitors in private offices at the top of the stadium mumbled to themselves.

There was a brief, restrained buzz when England scored its only penalty, and cheers from outside the stadium could be heard.

A few minutes later, after Cristiano Ronaldo converted the final penalty to seal Portugal's victory in Germany, a man in a red shirt angrily ripped the earphones from his head. The crowd at the top of the stadium moaned -- during a rally on the court -- and England was officially out of the World Cup.

When the first set ended, one man in the crowd yelled to Murray: "C'mon Murray, you're it now."

Two hours later, Murray complied, completing a 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4 victory.

SHARAPOVA LOOKING SHARP

Look who quietly slipped into the fourth round at Wimbledon: cover girl Maria Sharapova.

Centre Court was half empty and the Royal Box deserted when the paparazzi's favorite player took the court Saturday. Many fans were either seeking a refreshment after watching the Andre Agassi-Rafael Nadal match or off to find a telecast of England's loss in the World Cup.

It's unlikely Sharapova has ever played before so many unoccupied seats -- not that it fazed her.

"I don't really pay attention," she said.

The reward's the same regardless of attendance, and 2004 champion Sharapova advanced to Monday's round of 16 by beating American Amy Frazier 6-3, 6-2.

The victory completed a routine week for Sharapova, who lost only 11 games in three matches. She's seeded fourth but was the pre-tournament favorite with London bookmakers, and her title chances improved Saturday when three-time champion Venus Williams was upset by Jelena Jankovic.

"I got a pretty good test today," Sharapova said. "I definitely feel confident going into the fourth round."

While Sharapova is only 19, Frazier was the oldest woman in the draw at 33. It was her 18th Wimbledon, most among active women.

"The atmosphere, the tradition -- it's always, `Wow, it's Wimbledon,"' said Frazier, who has no plans to retire. "I don't think my outlook has changed that much through the years. I try to work hard, and I keep on trying to improve and hopefully play good tennis. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't."

FROM RUSSIA, WITH CAR

Dmitry Tursunov moved from Russia to the United States when he was 12, and has spent half of his life in California, making him qualified to discuss the differences between the two countries.

Tursunov, who came back from two sets down Saturday to beat fifth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic in the third round, says one of the biggest differences is the way Americans and Russians treat their material possessions, especially their cars.

"Maybe in Russia people appreciate certain things more than in the United States because in America, every family has one or two cars, so they don't treat their cars like it's something special," he said. "In Russia, until fairly recently, not very many people could afford cars."

Tursunov has a special interest in sports cars, and admits he treats his pretty well.

"It's always sitting in the shop, unfortunately," he said. "The more money I make, the better care it gets."

SUPER BOX

The Royal Box at Wimbledon was the place to be Saturday, packed with sports stars and celebrities.

The list included Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute mile in 1954, former Wimbledon champions Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Maria Bueno, Stan Smith and Steffi Graf -- who watched her husband, Andre Agassi, lose to Rafael Nadal on Centre Court.

Five-time Olympic gold medalist rower Steve Redgrave was joined by golfer Ernie Els, English cricketer Alec Stewart and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.