Superb Venus overpowers Sharapova

LONDON, England -- Venus Williams stayed on course for a fourth Wimbledon crown when she breathtakingly demolished second seed Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-3 in a brutal fourth round victory.

Williams, the champion in 2000, 2001 and 2005, overpowered the Russian second seed, the 2004 winner, and now faces Sharapova's compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova for a place in the semifinals.

However, it was not all joy for the Williams family as younger sister Serena is out of the tournament after an epic quarterfinal clash with top seed Justine Henin.

Henin won the latest battle in the most fierce rivalry in women's tennis with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 quarterfinal victory over the seventh seed.

The Belgian world number one is chasing the one grand slam title she needs to complete her collection and looked in ominous form with a barrage of stunning backhand winners.

She now trails 6-5 in career meetings but appears to have the edge over the powerful American after also knocking her out in the quarterfinal at the French Open.

There was nothing between the players for the first eight games but it was Serena who wavered at 4-4, dropping her serve when Henin played a delicate lob volley over her head.

The Belgian then served out a near-perfect set to take command of the match.

Williams, sporting a bandage on the left calf she injured so dramatically against Daniela Hantuchova on Monday, was in no mood for a repetition of her Roland Garros defeat where she subsided in straight sets without her usual fight.

This time she hit back to win the second set after a flurry of service breaks. On set point at 5-3 she banged a serve beyond Henin down the middle and successfully won a Hawkeye challenge after it had wrongly been called out.

Henin, getting plenty of advice from her coach Carlos Rodriguez in the players' box, blazed to a 5-1 lead in the decider with Williams looking flat-footed.

Williams still managed to stretch out the contest, snatching back a couple of games.

Henin nervously put a backhand volley into the net on her first match point but when she got a second chance Williams obliged by scooping a backhand long.

"It was mentally a very difficult match," said Henin. "At 5-3 I went to the net a couple of times. It didn't really pay. Finally I could finish the match in that game because who knows what would happened if it was 5-4."

Meanwhile, former champion Sharapova was simply blown off the Centre Court by Venus.

She failed to win a single break point, allowed her opponent a huge 19 opportunities and managed to win just two points off the Williams serve in the entire second set.

Williams set the tone for the early exchanges without lifting a racquet when she took a toilet break before the first ball was hit as the Russian was left kicking her heels on court.

Sharapova's game was picked to pieces in a hopelessly one-sided opening set when she was broken in the fourth and six games in the tricky, blustery conditions.

A sixth double fault gave the American the set after just 33 minutes with Sharapova unable to make any impression on the Williams serve.

Sharapova was under pressure again early in the second set when she had to save five break points in the third game before rain sent the players off for two hours.

On the resumption, that game became a marathon, lasting for 23 minutes with Sharapova going ahead to 2-1 having saved seven break points.

But Williams was comfortably the better player.

Not surprisingly, the Russian buckled and the 27-year-old Williams carved out another deserved break to lead 4-3. The match was over quickly with Sharapova firing a dispirited forehand into the net after 89 minutes on court.

"I think I played solid today. I think that my serve definitely was a weapon. My return definitely was very, very good," said Venus.

"I think when it was time, I played the percentages. When I had a chance, I went for it."

Sharapova conceded that Venus was just too good for her on the day. "She was averaging her first serve 115 miles per hour, where my first serve, the fastest one was 115," Sharapova said.

"I couldn't really give myself any chances on the return. I think that put a little extra pressure on my serve."

"I know she can produce great tennis. That's what has won her so many grand slams."

France's Marion Batoli, refreshed by an hour's nap in one of the rain breaks, battled her way into a semifinal showdown with Henin after a 3-6 6-3 6-2 victory over Michaella Krajicek.

Bartoli, who says she needs 10 hours' sleep a night to be at her best, took a much needed nap when rain stopped play.

Much refreshed after bedding down in the locker room, she came from a set down to book her place in the last four of a grand slam for the first time at the age of 22.

Bartoli, explaining her unorthodox route to victory, said she was late to bed last night when her doubles match was finally postponed and, as a result, got only eight hours' sleep.

"I need at least 10 hours each night for me to sleep so I am missing two hours" she said. Cat-napping in the locker room worked wonders. "After one hour of sleep it was much better," she said.

Reporters at her post-match news conference wondered how she woke up.

She explained: "When I heard the referee's office announcement 'We are uncovering the court, checking the court and we'll get back to you as soon as possible' I knew it was time to wake up!"

The refreshed number 18 seed dropped just five points on her own serve in the second set. In the decider, Bartoli, who is coached by her doctor father Walter, twice broke the disconsolate Dutch teenager's serve to coast to victory. E-mail to a friend