Federer lesson for Soderling

Williams sisters remain on collision course in searing heat

Five-times champion Federer nailed Sweden's Robin Soderling, the man he beat in this month's French Open final, in what he described as a "serving contest", winning 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 to ease ominously into the quarterfinals.

With the mercury shooting past 30 degrees and forecasters predicting even higher temperatures this week in south west London, the Williams sisters, who have faced each other three times in the final here, were able to conserve energy.

Second seed Serena, beaten last year by her older sister, thrashed Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-1 while Venus was required to play just eight games to get past tearful Serb Ana Ivanovic, who quit with a thigh injury after little more than half an hour on Court One.

The 13th-seeded Ivanovic, who had been swept aside 6-1 in 30 minutes in the first set, called for the trainer in the first game of the second. The Serb served out the game but was struggling badly and signalled to the umpire that she was unable to carry on.

Safina through

Women’s top seed Dinara Safina of Russia needed all her battling qualities to beat former champion Amelie Mauresmo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 under the closed Centre Court roof in the fourth round.

Former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt fought back from two sets down to defeat Czech Radek Stepanek 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and take his place in the quarterfinals.

Croatia's Ivo Karlovic won a bruising encounter with Spanish seventh seed Fernando Verdasco 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 to reach the quarterfinals. Spanish wildcard Juan Carlos Ferrero swept through to the Wimbledon quarter-finals downing French eighth seed Gilles Simon 7-6, 6-3, 6-2.  Victoria Azarenka from Belarus battled her way into the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Russia's Nadia Petrova.

The eighth seed, the first woman from Belarus to reach the last eight at Wimbledon since Natasha Zvereva in 1998, will have to raise her game to stand a chance against Serena in the last eight.

An abysmal first set was awash with unforced errors, both players each losing their serve three times apiece before Azarenka, yowling with effort on every point, squeaked home 7-5 in a tight tiebreak.

Petrova, treated at the end of the set with ice packs to counteract the heat, came back with all guns blazing to level the match but could not maintain the pressure in the decider and Azarenka wrapped it up after two hours and 25 minutes. Impressive fourth seed Elena Dementieva, a semifinalist last year, polished off fellow Russian Elena Vesnina quickly to become the first player through to the last eight.

"I'm a control freak," added Venus who now has Agnieszka Radwanska in her sights after the Pole ended the run of 17-year-old American Melanie Oudin 6-4, 7-5.

Soderling, the man who ended Rafael Nadal's 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros, is a dangerous beast on grass with a huge serve and whiplash forehand but as in Paris he found the 14-times grand slam champion just too good at the vital moments.

The Swede only lost his serve once in the entire match but faltered in both tie-breaks.

Germany's Tommy Haas, the oldest player in the last 16, reached the last eight for the first time, outwitting Russia's Igor Andreev 7-6, 6-4, 6-4. Fourth seed Novak Djokovic continued his unassuming path with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Israel's Dudi Sela.

Unseeded German Sabine Lisicki added Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki to her list of Wimbledon scalps this year with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the fourth round.

Wimbledon  results

Fourth-round results (prefix number denotes seeding)
Men’s singles: Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) bt 23-Radek Stepanek (Czech) 4-6, 2-6 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; 22-Ivo Karlovic (Cro) bt 7-Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(9); 4-Novak Djokovic (Ser) bt Dudi Sela (Isr) 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; 2-Roger Federer (Sui) bt 13-Robin Soderling (Swe) 6-4, 7-6(5), 7-6(5); 24-Tommy Haas (Ger) bt 29-Igor Andreev (Rus) 7-6(8), 6-4, 6-4.
Women’s singles: 1-Dinara Safina (Rus) bt 17-Amelie Mauresmo (Fra) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Sabine Lisicki (Ger) bt 9-Caroline Wozniacki (Den) 6-4, 6-4; Francesca Schiavone (Ita) bt 26-Virginie Razzano (Fra) 6-2, 7-6(1); 2-Serena Williams (US) bt Daniela Hantuchova (Slo) 6-3, 6-1; 8-Victoria Azarenka (Bel) bt 10-Nadia Petrova (Rus) 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3; 3-Venus Williams (US) bt 13-Ana Ivanovic (Ser) 6-1, 0-1 Ivanovic retired; 11-Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) bt Melanie Oudin (US) 6-4, 7-5; 4-Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Elena Vesnina (Rus) 6-1, 6-3.
Men’s doubles (third round): 4-ahesh Bhupathi (Ind)/Mark Knowles (Bah) bt Prakash Amritraj (Ind)/Aisam-ul-Haq (Pak) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, 6-0; 1-Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (both US) bt Leos Friedl/David Skoch (both Czech) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.