Veteran South African Wayne Ferreira has emerged as the biggest obstacle between Oxfordshire's Tim Henman and a third final appearance in the Stella Artois Championships.

The British No 1 has yet to drop a set at Queen's and was expected to comfortably account for the unseeded Korean, Hyung-Taik Lee, in Friday's quarter-finals.

Henman's comparatively smooth progress to the last eight has been bettered only by defending champion Lleyton Hewitt, while the rest of the fancied runners have fallen.

Thomas Enqvist (Sweden), James Blake (United States) and Max Mirnyi (Belarus) all failed to get past the second round, Greg Rusedski was bundled out by Mark Philippoussis and eighth seed Xavier Malisse was beaten by Todd Martin yesterday.

The 10th-seeded Ferreira raised hopes of bridging that ten-year gap when he outlasted Philippoussis in a three-setter on Centre Court.

As long as he overcomes Dutchman Raemon Sluiter in the first match on Centre Court today and Henman avoids a shock against Lee, the evergreen Ferreira will play the Briton in tomorrow afternoon's semi-finals.

Henman has already enjoyed one straight-forward victory over Lee, a player ranked 112 places below him, in the past, but he warned: "Although I beat him comfortably in Brighjton, I think it's going to be much more difficult this time."