Twice champion Venus Williams stormed into her sixth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final by demolishing Russia's Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-3 on Monday.
The 59-minute victory allowed Venus to avenge her fourth-round defeat to the 18-year-old at Roland Garros earlier this month and set up a last-eight meeting with 1999 winner Lindsay Davenport.
While Venus, champion in 2000 and 2001, was hindered by an abdominal strain and a gruelling slow surface in Paris, she had no such problems on the slick turf at the All England Club.
One of a record five women from her country to reach the last 16, Zvonareva had been hoping to continue the Russian invasion at the championships.
But like her compatriot Elena Dementieva, who was simultaneously being handed a drubbing by Venus's sister and defending champion Serena on Centre Court, Zvonareva failed to put up much of a challenge on an overcast and humid court two.
The American fourth seed put in a devastating display of power and precision in the first set to streak into a 5-0 lead in just 16 minutes.
Zvonareva managed to avoid a complete humiliation by finally registering on the scoreboard in the sixth game. But that only gave the 16th seed a brief respite as the towering Venus prowled the court with a look of intent, finishing off the set with a thunderbolt ace.
Although Zvonareva broke the mighty Venus serve early in the second, to draw level at 2-2, the Russian struggled to find her footing on the lush lawns.
With dark clouds still looming large over south London, Venus appeared to be in a hurry to get back in to the locker room, especially as light drizzle had delayed the start of her match by more than hour.
Attempting to speed up the action, she peppered her game with numerous unforced errors to let Zvonareva stay in the hunt until 3-3.
The Russian's resolve eventually crumbled in the seventh game and, having saved two match points on her serve, Zvonareva bowed out when she failed to control a rasping forehand groundstroke from the American.
SERENA TOO HAS IT EASY
Serena Williams halted the Russian invasion in its tracks, crushing 15th seed Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the grasscourt Grand Slam for the fourth year in a row.
The top seed and defending champion rattled off the first four games in nine devastating minutes to leave her opponent, one of a record five Russian women in the fourth round, looking shellshocked.
Dementieva recovered her senses to hold serve at 0-4 and briefly threatened to make a match of it when she broke the American with a clever wrong-footing forehand.
But Serena, who came into the match having won 20 consecutive singles sets at Wimbledon, hit back immediately to clinch the opener in 22 minutes.
Dementieva, who had never faced her fellow 21-year-old before, saved three break points in the first game of the second set but there was no escape for the Russian.
Two more service breaks gave Serena a 5-2 lead and she clinched victory on her third match point when Dementieva lashed a backhand wide.
CLIJSTERS SHOWS DOUBLES PARTNER NO MERCY
Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters left personal friendship to one side and bludgeoned doubles partner Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-3, 6-2.
Clijsters quickly settled into her rhythm after an hour's rain delay on court one and her crunching forehand proved too much for Sugiyama, the 13th seed.
The 20-year-old Belgian needed only 25 minutes to take the first set and took a minute less to wrap up the second, sealing her 49-minute victory with a simple forehand volley.
The 2001 Wimbledon quarter-finalist faces a last-eight meeting with Italy's Silvia Farina Elia or Argentine Paola Suarez.
Clijsters is on course for a probable semi-final against 2000 and 2001 Wimbledon champion Venus Williams of the United States.
The Belgian's win was her 50th singles victory of the year. The last player to reach their half-century so early in the season was Martin Navratilova in 1982.
Clijsters is due back on court later on Monday with Sugiyama in the third round of the women's doubles.
CAPRIATI TO MEET SERENA
Former World Number One Jennifer Capriati powered her way into a Wimbledon quarter-final against Serena Williams with an effortless 6-2, 6-3 victory over Russian Anastasia Myskina.
The number eight seed, now fully recovered from eye surgery to remove sunspots, looked to be back to her best, placing her shots superbly and serving with unerring accuracy.
Myskina, one of five Russians in the last 16, was outgunned and outrun by Capriati who raced to a 4-0 in the first 15 minutes and never let her dominance slip.
Capriati had one of her biggest fans courtside. "I thought she looked great today," said a clearly delighted Matthew Perry. The actor and star of "Friends" was the first to rise to applaud Capriati after her convincing win.
The 27-year-old Capriati now faces the toughest test of all -- she takes on compatriot Serena for a place in the last four.
