I haven't seen de Brito play but from what I've heard, this girl could make serious damage if she keeps up her game and continues on improving as she gains pro experience. If this result against Serena will be one of many she can pull off in the coming months against top players, then I will have no doubts she'll be in the same league as them within the next year.

Image via Getty.

Maria Sharapova suddenly found some time on her hands after an early exit at Wimbledon and decided to let off some steam, travel to Paris, see some lush couture, party with the glamorous and have a very cool sidekick in tow (or was she Belle's sidekick?). But amidst all the glitz and glam, she still found her adorkable self in the shuffle.

These two will hurt you really bad.

Images via mariasharapova.com.

Recent Wimbledon champion, Rafael Nadal, spent some well deserved quality t-i-m-e with his girlfriend back home in Mallorca. Although I'd fancy Rafa frolicking with Camilla Belle in Spain, it's good to see him relax a bit after a hectic clay-grass season.

I wonder if there were 8 paparazzi that day.
Images via flynetonline.com.

While Rafa frolicked, Maria Sharapova made an appearance at one of her endorsements' anniversary party. She was at Land Rover's 60th Anniversary pool party at Agoura Hills, CA.

Images via WireImage.

17-year old Lauren Embree won her first singles title when she defeated 18-year old Jamie Hampton. Played before 200 enthuastic spectators, Lauren triumphed 63 64 in a match lasting 1 hour 32 minutes. This final also marked the second time that both players had appeared in a singles final on the ITF Women's Circuit.

In the doubles event, Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens teamed up to win their first doubles title together. This was Christina's second doubles title of her career and a first for Sloane.

After assisting the tournament director over the past few years, Nick Taylor, the current world number 3 ranked quad wheelchair player, assumed the role of Tournament Director for the first time.

ITF

From Throw Up The Deuce

Janko Tipseravic offered this little gem about women’s tennis:

“99% of male tennis players can’t stand women’s tennis. There’s no other sport with such a big disparity concerning level of play and the money women make. A friend of mine says that a woman who wins a Slam should only earn enough money to pay for her airplane ticket home. Who knows what else I would say if it wasn’t for Ana and Jelena whom I may consider friends. But of course, I appreciate the effort they’re putting into tennis, because I know they practise as hard as I do. [...] The way women think on court cannot be compared to men. Their only strategy is ‘hit the ball where your opponent isn’t.’ Nothing more! No ‘Put more spin on the ball, this is an important point, play to her backhand’. No way! [...] It’s that such kind of tennis works today. Look at the Williams sisters, Sharapova or Ivanovic who hits the ball like a truck on steroids. I get a bit critical when I see how much the women earn and how their opening rounds go. That’s what irritates me the most, I feel like going to WTA HQ and *something* all of them. Look at Federer who is so dominant, he has to work so hard to beat a Staracce or an Almagro, he may even lose a set and then look at Sharapova or Ivanovic who lose 3 games in the first 4 rounds. It makes me sick”.

I.. don't know what to say. Can anyone really still be this ignorant? *cough*Justin*cough* It's disgusting.

"99% of male tennis players can't stand women's tennis. There's no other sport with such a big disparity concerning level of play and the money women make. A friend of mine says that a woman who wins a Slam should only earn enough money to pay for her airplane ticket home. Who knows what else I would say if it wasn't for Ana and Jelena whom I may consider friends. But of course, I appreciate the effort they're putting into tennis, because I know they practise as hard as I do. [...] The way women think on court cannot be compared to men. Their only strategy is 'hit the ball where your opponent isn't.' Nothing more! No 'Put more spin on the ball, this is an important point, play to her backhand'. No way! [...] It's that such kind of tennis works today. Look at the Williams sisters, Sharapova or Ivanovic who hits the ball like a truck on steroids. I get a bit critical when I see how much the women earn and how their opening rounds go. That's what irritates me the most, I feel like going to WTA HQ and *something* all of them. Look at Federer who is so dominant, he has to work so hard to beat a Staracce or an Almagro, he may even lose a set and then look at Sharapova or Ivanovic who lose 3 games in the first 4 rounds. It makes me sick".

Uhh, Janko, your stupidity is showing.

Women's Singles:

Many favourites failed early in the women's draw: The four top seeds were eliminated before the quarterfinals - the first time in the Open Era... But two made their way through to the final: Venus and Serena Williams...

Final:

[7] Venus Williams (USA) def. [6] Serena Williams (USA) 7-5 6-4
The third time in Wimbledon history the Williams sisters were playing the final. The both previous finals Serena won but this time Venus was the better player and became the deserving champion. It's her fifth title at Wimbledon - her 7th Grand Slam title. Serena had her chances but made in the end too much errors.

Notable results:

4th round: [18] Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) def. [8] Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 4-6 7-6(0) 6-3
Czech talent Nicole Vaidisova with rising form. After bad results the last months she reached the quarters by defeting top 10 player Anna Chakvetadze.

4th round: Jie Zheng (CHN) def. [15] Agnes Szavay (HUN) 6-3 6-4
Chinese Jie Zheng is one of the most surprising player in Wimbledon. After sending world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic packing Zheng overwhelmed the next seeded player: Agnes Szavay from Hungary...

4th round: Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) def. [2] Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 6-3 6-2
The next big win for an underdog: Tamarine Tanasugarn won vs. handcapped (because of a knee injury) world No. 2 Jelena Jankovic from Serbia in straight sets who had no chance vs. the 31 years old from Thailand.

4th round: [14] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) def. [4] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-4 1-6 7-5
The lost of 4th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova completed the desaster of the top seeds. The first time in the last 40 years it happened that no one of the four top-seeds reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. Kuznetsova lost despite a comfortable lead in the third vs. Polish talent Agnieszka Radwanska.

Quarterfinal: [6] Serena Williams (USA) def. [14] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 6-4 6-0
One of the few favourites in business Serena Williams overran Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska. After a tied frist set Serena swept Radwanska 6-0 away...

Quarterfinal: Jie Zheng (CHN) def. [18] Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) 6-2 5-7 6-1
China's Jie Zheng defeated Czech Nicole Vaidisova in three sets and is, after Tamarine Tanasugarn lost to Venus Williams, the only unseeded player who reached the semifinals. 4 of her five matches she played vs. seeded players (e.g. top-seed Ana Ivanovic) and won all...

Semifinal: [7] Venus Williams (USA) def. [5] Elena Dementieva (RUS) 6-1 7-6(3)
Defending champion Venus Williams is the first player who qualified for the final. After an easy first set where Elena Dementieva was a bit unfocused the match became closer but Venus decided the match in the 2nd set tiebreak. Now all were waiting for the all-Williams-final...

Semifinal: [6] Serena Williams (USA) def. Jie Zheng (CHN) 6-2 7-6(5)
... and they got it. Serena Williams won vs. the first Chinese in a Grand Slam semifinal Jie Zheng nearly the same way Venus did it before. Easy first set, close 2nd set.

Women's Doubles:

The Williams sisters were dominating the singles draw and they reached the final in doubles too...

Final:

[11] Serena Williams (USA) / Venus Williams (USA) def. [16] Lisa Raymond (USA) / Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-2 6-2
The Williams sisters took also the doubles title at Wimbledon, their third time. Doubles specialists Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur had no chance in a onesided final so Serena and Venus won in straight sets.

Men's Singles:

The spectators wanted to see the final between world No. 1 Roger Federer from Switzerland and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal from Spain... and they got it. It became a historic final which no tennis fan will forget soon...

Final:

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. [1] Roger Federer (SUI) 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(8 ) 9-7
Sensational, exciting, unbelievable, epical... only a few words which describe this extraordinary match. After 4 hours and 48 minutes (longest Wimbledon final in history) full of the best which tennis can offer world No. 2 Rafael Nadal disempowered Roger Federer who won the past five years. Nadal led with 2-0 sets but then came the rain. After this break Roger Federer became better. But in the fourth set tiebreak Nadal had his first two matchpoints but Federer managed it to win the 4th set. After another rain delay both players hold their serves until the score of 7-7. Then Nadal could break Federer's serve and obtained his first Wimbledon title which is at the same time his first Grand Slam title off clay (4 times in Roland Garros). Roger Federer's winning streak of 65 consecutive wins on grass ended and so he missed to overtrump Bjorn Borg who also won 5 times in a row in Wimbledon.

Notable results:

4th round: [12] Andy Murray (GBR) def. [8] Richard Gasquet (FRA) 5-7 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2 6-4
Scottish player Andy Murray is the last British player in the tournament. After a 0-2 sets-handicap he won in five sets over French No. 1 Richard Gasquet and ecstasized his home crowd.

4th round: Marat Safin (RUS) def. [13] Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-1
In three of his four matches so far Russian Marat Safin has met seeded players (e.g. Novak Djokovic)... he won every match! This time Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka became his victim.

4th round: Rainer Schuettler (GER) def. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-4 3-6 6-4 7-6(4)
The 32 years old German Rainer Schuettler is maybe the most surprising player so far. He won over Serbian Janko Tipsarevic and reached the quarters.

4th round: Mario Ancic (CRO) def. [22] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 13-11
After the 2nd set the spectators thought that Spaniard Fernando Verdasco will win his match vs. Mario Ancic from Croatia easily. But then Ancic turned the paper and won the match with 13-11 in the final set.

4th round: Arnaud Clement (FRA) def. Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-3 7-5 6-2
Nobody really noticed that French doubles specialist Arnaud Clement reached the quarterfinal of Wimbledon with a victory over Croatian Marin Cilic in straight sets.

Quarterfinal: Marat Safin (RUS) def. [31] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 3-6 7-5 7-6(1) 6-3
After a set down Russian old hand Marat Safin won his quarterfinal vs. Spaniard Feliciano Lopez to make the semis vs. 5 time defending champion Roger Federer.

Quarterfinal: Rainer Schuettler (GER) def. Arnaud Clement (FRA) 6-3 5-7 7-6(6) 6-7(7) 8-6
Because of heavy rain this thriller was played on two days. German unseeded Rainer Schuettler won after over five hours (matchtime - the 2nd longest in Wimbledon history) over French unseeded Arnaud Clement. Both players had many ups and downs but at the end Schuettler was the more lucky one. After Melbourne 2003 (runner-up) it's his 2nd Grand Slam semifinal in his long career. Schuettler will play French Open champ and 2 time Wimbledon runner-up Rafael Nadal.

Semifinal: [1] Roger Federer (SUI) def. Marat Safin (RUS) 6-3 7-6(3) 6-4
Same procedure as every yeah. Roger Federer is the first finalist - the sixth time in a row. All the previous finals (since 2003) Federer won. Until now he hasn't dropped a set. Also Marat Safin from Russia couldn't stop the FedExpress. Only in the second set Safin had some chances but Federer was too strong.

Semifinal: [2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Rainer Schuettler (GER) 6-1 7-6(3) 6-4
Rafael Nadal reached his third consecutive Wimbledon final. After a straight win over German oldie Rainer Schuettler the - for tennis fans - perfect final is complete. No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal. But all the respect to Schuettler. I watched him in Halle a few weeks ago where he played not very good and now he reached the semifinal of Wimbledon (3rd male German in Open Era after Boris Becker and Michael Stich). Congratulations Rainer :D

Men's Doubles:

The top seeds Bryan brothers lost in the semifinals...

Final:

[2] Daniel Nestor (CAN) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) def. [8] Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) / Kevin Ullyett (ZIM) 7-6(12) 6-7(3) 6-3 6-3
... so there were Daniel Nestor and Nenas Zimonjic who won their first Wimbledon doubles title vs. Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett. The first two sets were balanced but then Nestor and Zimonjic turned up and won in four sets.

Mixed Doubles:

Final:

Bob Bryan (USA) / Samantha Stosur (AUS) def. [1] Mike Bryan (USA) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 7-5 6-4
Normally the Bryan brothers are successful in one team but in the mixed doubles final they were rivals. Bob Bryan won together with Samantha Stosur the mixed title vs. the top seeds Mike Bryan and Katarina Srebotnik.

First of all, the all-Williams final did not turn out the way I expected it to. Venus was very much in control of that match which surprised me. Serena has been the stronger one of the sisters this year so seeing Venus win it in straight sets tells you that no two days is ever the same in one's game in tennis- especially on the women's side. Coming into Wimbledon, Venus had a 14-7 win/loss record this year and has not been to a tournament final while Serena already has 3 titles under her belt. But the lawns at Wimbledon seem to bring out the best in Venus' game and it's just fitting that she once again lifts that Venus Rosewater dish for the 5th time. Congratulations to Venus for winning her 5th Wimbledon title!

As Venus lifts #5, Roger Federer keeps his title count at #5 too failing to overcome the unstoppable Rafael Nadal in an epic 5-set battle. I honestly thought this match was going to be an easy one for Rafa ala his French Open victory over The Fed just over a month ago. Well, I thought wrong and should not have written off Roger that easily- he is after all The Fed who has won this tournament 5 consecutive times. But it really has been Rafa's show in the ATP since the start of the clay season. After overcoming two rain delays and blowing off two Championship points in the 4th set, Rafa showed his mental toughness and never-say-die attitude to finally clinch the big W in the 5th set. What a great match that was to witness! I am very proud to be a tennis fan right now. VAMOS RAFA!

All images via Getty.

The all-Williams battle took a while to get into gear, but once it did, the fans on Centre Court were treated to some gripping stuff. Serena broke her elder sister before most spectators were even settled into their seats and the early exchanges were dominated by service until the eighth game. Venus finally carved out her first break point as Serena lost her rhythm, but she fired down a big serve to take it back to deuce. An incredible rally followed on the next point, which Venus dominated and won at the net before sending down an incredibly deep return on the next service to level matters at 4-4.

The rallies got longer as the end of the first set approached and break points were exchanged and saved. And then in the 12th game, Venus stepped up. Two great returns made it 0-30 on her sister’s service, and though Serena battled back to 30-30, Venus pounced on two second serves to take the first set 7-5.

The second set began with a Venus serve clocked at 129 mph – the fastest ever recorded at the Championships – and then a fascinating game ensued, which lasted 14 minutes. Serena earned any number of break points and howled in frustration every time an unforced error or a Venus winner put paid to her hopes. At the end of a backhand rally Serena finally converted a break point to lead 2-1, but her psychological advantage was wiped out in a matter of seconds as Venus broke straight back.

The elder sister again began to dominate on service, causing her younger sibling to bounce her racquet off the turf in frustration. Serena, nevertheless, served strongly until Venus once again seized the day at precisely the right moment. She pummelled the ball on to her sister’s backhand then devoured a drop that fell too deep. At 15-40, Serena earned herself a stay of execution with an ace, but a backhand that drifted out handed Venus the title, 7-5, 6-4.

The crowd – deprived of what surely would have been an epic third set – were left wanting more and their wish was granted as there was just enough time to fit the ladies’ doubles final in at the end of the day. The sister act broke in the third game of the opening set against No. 16 seeds Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur and never looked back, running out 6-2, 6-2 winners. This was the third Wimbledon doubles title for the Williams sisters after 2000 (when Venus also won the singles) and 2002 (when Serena defeated Venus in the singles final).

The mens tour is riddled with leadership problems. Management has allowed a betting scandal, much worse than Spygate can ever be, manifest itself and threaten the integrity of the sport. Then they decided to stir up controversy by shifting the schedule, creating lawsuits from tournaments dropped in status, and a revolt by players that led to the world's Top 3 players positioning for spots on the board of governors to represent the players and prevent renewing the commissioner's contract.

Meanwhile, Andy Roddick and James Blake, the two most prominent US players, have failed to live up to expectations. Both making a habit of early exits in Grand Slam tournaments. It all adds up to chaos.

The tour needs to find a strong leader with a plan immediately. A la Roger Goodell, the betting scandal must be addressed swiftly and sternly. It appears gambling outposts can provide solid evidence of match fixing. Penalty for a first offense is a one year ban and a million dollar fine, second offense is lifetime banishment. That will help clean the sport up quickly.

Next, address this scheduling issue with the players and tournaments. FInally, the sport needs a new image and a new marketing plan. Casual sports fans in the US hardly know Rafael Nadal, yet he is one of the cornerstones to this era of tennis. Perhaps the greatest clay court player ever, and currently second to only Roger Federer on all other surfaces, on the brink of surpassing him. Nadal speaks multiple languages, including English, is young and extremely marketable. Federer is already an all-time great. He appears in a few advertisements, notably the Gillette series with Tiger Woods (and now Derek Jeter) and has a lucrative deal with Nike. Yet, I don't feel the American public knows Roger Federer. Not like they knew Sampras and Agassi, or McEnroe and Connors. Yes, neither Federer nor Nadal are American, but its turning into one of the better rivals in modern tennis, the sports must take advantage.

I can't remember one time either man has been interviewed on radio or TV in the US. Networks and tour officials need to make this a year round effort, not just a one month push leading into the US Open. Tennis is a year round sport. ESPN should have these players on during the French and Wimbledon. Show us more McEnroe as well to stir the pot and draw attention to tennis.

Tennis is a great way to appeal to the upper class. Nadal and Federer should appear in commercials for luxury items and travel companies. Digital media fits tennis to a tee, given the simultaneous, densely packed action at tennis tournaments, and the international appeal. ESPN and NBC streamed Wimbledon matches - albeit at a cost. More than the matches, use viral marketing to get their names out, reach out to tennis players.

On the women's side, I watched the Williams' sisters Wimbledon final this morning, then wondered why they did not follow the path of Tiger Woods. Individual sport, father that pushed them from an early age, one of the first notable African-Americans to make a dent in a predominantly white sport, great human interest story, polarizing character, unbelieveable talent. Unfortunately, off the court issues cost the sisters a few years of dominance on the court in the middle of the decade. Still, why have they not transformed women's tennis the way Tiger has golf?

As much as I'd like to believe it's not the case in 2008, it could partially relate to gender. I'm not convinced. Tennis has not received the media coverage it deserves, nor has it pushed for it. The Williams' sisters matches should have received tremendous hype this week, considering the are the only US link to the tournament right now, and they were both playing dominant tennis. Nothing, slicence.

Part of the problem, the game has changed signifcantly and many fans left. The days of tremendous volleys succumbed to the 145-mph serve thanks to technology advances, all but exttinguishing prolonged rallies. Tennis became unwatchable. And more fans have left without the appeal of a US rivalry, and none have come back. Eventually the standards board has to push back, though the sports has become less serve oriented in the past year or two.

Tennis needs to re-create its image and re-connect with its fan base. A weekend at Wimbledon featuring an all Williams women's final and Nadal-Federer on the men's side should generate the same buzz as Tiger in the final round of a major. While it will register on the sports landscape, it will not be nearly where it should.

Let's start with Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfred Tsonga getting down and dirty with some gogo dancers.

Double date! Rafael Nadal spends some time with Maria Sharapova's BFF, Camilla Belle, in Miami this year while Maria cozied it up with Novak Djokovic.

Andy Roddick thinks he's creepy.

Svetlana Kuznetsova likes to make awesome faces!

Serena Williams scares people and gets half nakey.

And I end this with Dmitry Tursunov.. a great kisser!

We indeed get an all-Williams final in the women's side and a 1-2 in the men's. After all the early upsets, who knew Wimbledon could bring a somewhat predictable end to a weird fortnight. After Sharapova, Ivanovic, Roddick and Djokovic left early, these were the four players who I thought would surely be in the finals. But since all of my early predictions were flushed down the toilet, I was expecting another curve ball. Well, guess not. Now, my last set of predictions before we close the doors to Wimby '08. Let's see if they throw one last curve ball to me.

TDB finals picks: Serena in 3 sets and Rafa in 4 sets.

Have to give kudos to the comeback kids! Marat Safin, Nicole Vaidisova and Nadia Petrova. I hope they continue with their fine form throughout the year!

Risultati Secondo turno ATP(uomini)

Risultati Terzo turno ATP(uomini)

Risultati Secondo turno WTA(donne)

Risultati Terzo turno WTA(donne)

-Venus and Serena Williams def. Bethanie Mattek and Sania Mirza, 6-4, 6-3 -

Q. How would you describe the relationship between you and the bond you two have?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I think we have a great relationship. We really support each other and we're there for each other no matter what.

I think that's what sisters are about, so we definitely are role models for each other. We're extremely motivated by each other, win or loss, on or off the court.

Q. Serena?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I completely zoned out. I don't even remember the question.

...

Q. What inspires you most that you see in Venus?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, just everything that she does inspires me.

Q. And, Venus, about Serena?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I think she's really fearless, and I learned a lot from her on that.

...

Q. Do you feel like you were kind of the spoiled baby of the family?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Totally, for sure. It's perfect. I love it.

Q. Can you tell us a little about your domestic arrangement here. Are you cooking for each other, sleeping back to back? What's the setup?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we just live together. We don't do any cooking. I usually do all the cooking in Florida for her.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't cook.

SERENA WILLIAMS: But here we haven't done too much cooking. We just eat out every night, get take away, watch TV.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, you cooked last year more.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I cooked a lot last year, not this year.

...

Q. Could you imagine where you would be in your lives if your father hadn't introduced you to tennis?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I would do whatever she would be doing, so...

VENUS WILLIAMS: I would have been in college, I would have probably been modeling, and then I probably would have been a music producer and a choreographer.

Q. Serena, you mentioned you normally get what you want in the family relationship. Do you think that will extend to the singles title?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm gonna hope so, but I doubt it.

MORE, CLIK!

Risultati Secondo turno WTA(donne)

Risultati Terzo turno WTA(donne)

Risultati Secondo turno ATP(uomini)

Risultati Terzo turno ATP(uomini)

• It looks like we're getting an all-Williams final this year. Serena and Venus are both through to the SFs! Serena dimissed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-0 and Venus beat veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4 6-3.
• My little Nicky is out but this Wimbledon run should definitely be a confidence booster. We're still half way through the year and she can still make some noise and get back in the Top 10 where she belongs. Nicole was beaten by Ivanovic conqueror and surprise! semifinalist, Jie Zheng, 6-1 in the 3rd set.
• The quieter QF match-up was between two Russians, Nadia Petrova and Elena Dementieva. You really didn't think we'd go on a SF without a Russian-did you? Elena beat comeback kid Nadia 6-3 in the 3rd set.

For all Day 8 results, please go here.

Venus and Serena Williams are both one win away from another meeting in the Wimbledon final.

The seventh-seeded Venus and the sixth-seeded Serena both posted straight-set victories Tuesday in the quarterfinals of this year’s third major.

A four-time Wimbledon champion, Venus reached the semifinals here for the seventh time in the last nine years courtesy of a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand.

Nearly two hours later, Serena stayed on collision course with sister Venus by dismantling 14th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 6-0.

The defending champion of this grasscourt Grand Slam, Venus next will face fifth seed Elena Dementieva, who held on for a 6-1, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 victory Tuesday over No. 21 Nadia Petrova.

A two-time winner of this event, Serena will take on Chinese upstart Jie Zheng, who posted her latest upset at this tournament with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 ousting of No. 18 Nicole Vaidisova.

Elena Dementieva, Serena Williams, Venus Williams y Jie Zheng son las semifinalistas del cuadro femenino de Wimbledon, tercer Grand Slam de la temporada y que se disputa sobre las canchas de césped del All England Lawn Tennis Club.

La campeona del 2002 y 2003 Serena Williams se deshizo rápidamente por 6-4 6-0 de la joven polaca Agnieszka Radwanska en tan sólo 49 minutos de juego, y de esta forma avanzó  a las semis por quinta vez en su carrera. Su próxima rival será la sorprendente china Zheng que derrotó a Nicole Vaidisova por 6-2 5-7 6-1, anteriormente la asiática se había cargado con la número uno del mundo Ana Ivanovic y llegó a los cuartos de final sin ceder ni un sólo set.

La campeona defensora, Venus Williams, venció por 6-4 6-3 a la tailandesa Tanasugarn, quien ayer le había ganado a la serbia Jelena Jankovic. La cuatro veces campeona en Wimbledon buscará su séptima final ante la rusa Elena Dementieva, verduga de su compatriota Nadia Petrova por 6-1 6-7 6-3.

And they all fall down. Oy WTA's best. OY.

• The Top 4 women of the SEWTA tour are all out of Wimbledon before the QFs. Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova were the last to go out in their respective R16 matches today. Disappointing performances from the world's best. Don't give me injury excuses, kthanks. Jelena fell to veteran Tamarin Tanasugarn-in Court 18!-in straight sets and Svetlana fell to Sharapova USO '07 conqueror, Agnieszka Radwanska, 5-7 in the 3rd set.
• Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Venus Williams all cruised to the QFs.
• Andy Murray is keeping a whole nation's hope of another Brit making a good run at Wimbledon alive as he rallied back to win his R16 match today.
• Nicole Vaidisova, Nadia Petrova and Marat Safin, the comeback kids, are also through to the QFs! I'm extremely happy for them. Nicole rallied to beat Anna Chakvetadze 6-3 in the 3rd, Nadia beat Alla Kudrawhatever (not a fan of this little sh!@) in straight sets and Marat beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-1 in the 4th set.
• Mario Ancic, former semi-finalist and the last man to beat The Fed in Wimbledon, stayed forever and a day on court to beat Fernando Verdasco 13-11 in the 5th set. Let's go Anchooochoo!

For all Day 7 results, please go here.

U.S. women’s tennis coach Zina Garrison announced a four-woman team with three singles entries and two doubles teams. All three singles players -- Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport are former Olympic gold medal winners.  The two nominated U.S. women’s doubles teams consist of world No. 1 Liezel Huber with Davenport and the Williams sisters.

•  Serena Williams, 26, will be making her second Olympic appearance having won a gold medal in women’s doubles at the 2000 Olympic Games with sister, Venus, becoming the first set of siblings to win Olympic gold in tennis.  A resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Serena has won eight Grand Slam singles titles, and in 2003, became one of only five women to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles within a 12-month period.
• Venus Williams, 28, will be making her third Olympic appearance having won a gold medal in both women’s singles and women’s doubles at the 2000 Olympic Games, joining Helen Wills in 1924 as the only player to sweep both titles at the same Olympiad.  A resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Venus holds four Wimbledon and two US Open singles titles. 
• Lindsay Davenport, 32, will be making her third Olympic appearance having won a gold medal in singles at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.  Davenport took 11 months off from professional tennis to have her first child in June 2007, returning to the tour in September 2007.  A resident of Laguna Beach, Calif., she has won 55 singles titles and 37 doubles titles in her career, including the 1998 US Open, 1999 Australian Open and 2000 Wimbledon titles.
• Liezel Huber, 30, will be making her first Olympic appearance as an American (she competed at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney representing her native South Africa).  A resident of Cypress, Texas, she became an American citizen in July 2007 with the hopes of competing for the U.S. in the Olympics.  Ranked No. 1 in doubles since November 2007, Huber has won three Grand Slam doubles titles. She made her debut for the U.S. Fed Cup team in April.

U.S. men’s tennis coach Rodney Harmon announced a five-player men’s team, also with three singles entries and two doubles teams.  James Blake, Sam Querrey and Robby Ginepri were named to the team in singles.  Bob and Mike Bryan, the No. 1 doubles team in the world, and Blake and Querrey have been nominated as the two U.S. men’s doubles teams.

•  James Blake, 28, will be making his Olympic debut in Beijing.  A resident of Tampa, Fla., Blake has the chance to make history by becoming the first African-American male to win an Olympic tennis medal.  Blake missed the 2004 Olympic Games while recovering from a broken vertebra.  The winner of 10 singles and five doubles titles during his career, he is currently the No. 2 ranked American and in 2007, helped the U.S. win the Davis Cup title.
• Sam Querrey, 20, will be making his Olympic debut in Beijing.  Querrey is having a breakthrough year in just his second full season as a pro.  He broke into the Top 50 in 2007 and his ranking continues to rise after winning his first singles title in March in Las Vegas.  He currently resides in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
• Robby Ginepri, 25, will be making his Olympic debut in Beijing.  He missed being named to the 2004 U.S. Olympic team despite being ranked No. 35 in the world (he was the fifth-ranked American entered and the maximum number of singles players per country is four).  A resident of Kennesaw, Ga., Ginepri has the distinction of being the only active American man other than Andy Roddick to reach the semifinals at a Grand Slam event (2005 US Open).
• Bob and Mike Bryan, 30, will be making their second appearance in the Olympics having reached the quarterfinals in 2004 in Athens, losing to eventual gold medalists Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu of Chile.  The Bryans, currently residing in Wesley Chapel, Fla., joined the great, great uncles of President George W. Bush as the only two sets of brothers to play tennis for the United States in the Olympics (Arthur and George Wear competed in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis and each won a bronze medal with different doubles partners.).  Together, the Bryans have won the career Grand Slam in doubles and in 2007, helped the U.S. capture its first Davis Cup title since 1995.

 USTA |

The Williams bandwagon rolls on. After Venus coasted to a straight sets victory over Alisa Kleybanova, her sister Serena followed her onto No. 2 court and made light work of Bethanie Mattek, brushing aside her fellow American 6-3, 6-3. A repeat of the 2002 and 2003 all-Williams finals is still very much on course.

Mattek’s presence this deep into a Grand Slam tournament came as something of a surprise, particularly in the light of her ranking less than three months ago when she was languishing at No. 153 in the world. Better known as a doubles specialist, the 23-year-old American had to qualify for Roland Garros but went on to make the semi-final at Edgbaston in the run-up to Wimbledon and obviously has a penchant for grass.

The underdog won the toss and elected to serve, but this was a gamble that would backfire as two weak second services and a double fault combined to hand Serena an initiative that she would not relinquish. The 2002 and 2003 champion seemed in extremely determined mood, going so far as to walk all the way round from the umpire’s chair – from whence she had just hit a cross-court winner – to the other end of the net and then to the opposite court at a change-over, presumably to avoid having to give way to her opponent. Her play reflected this mind-set, banging down 115 mph serves and even laying down the odd drop-shot as Mattek was constantly on the back foot.

In a women’s draw already shorn of Ivanovic, Jankovic and Sharapova (not to mention the recently retired Justine Henin), an air of inevitability is fast taking over the second week. With Kuznetsova and Dementieva (or one of the many unseeded surprise packages still going strong) seemingly all that stands in the way of an all-Williams final, the only question is now whether the Venus Rosewater Dish will have to change its name to Serena…

Four-time champion Venus Williams fought off a late challenge from Alisa Kleybanova to reach her ninth Wimbledon quarter-final, winning 6-3, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand.

The 18-year-old Kleybanova, who has stormed up the rankings this year, left it far too late to show what might have been. Until the latter part of the second set, this Court Two joust could hardly have been more of anti-climax.

Admittedly, the Russian was in only her third Grand Slam and her first fourth round. But she has a big-hitting game and has jumped more than 100 places in the rankings this year to 42, a figure that will improve further when the new rankings are published on Monday.

Moreover, Kleybanova lists grass as one of her two favourite surfaces and as if to prove that, she had claimed the scalp of 10th seed Daniela Hantuchova in the second round.

But against Williams she was hampered in the first set by a dreadful first serve. Her percentage of first serves in was just 35 – against Williams' 78 per cent – and she delivered seven double faults, including two in the first game and three in the pivotal game of the set, when she was 3-4 down.

It was a pity because, these problems aside, she managed to hold her own for the first half hour, largely because Williams' own second serve was not a happy hunting ground. And when Kleybanova did manage to get her serve in, she sent down a high number of unreturnable deliveries.

In fact, her whole service action was riveting to watch. For one thing, she could conduct a close contest with Rafael Nadal to see who could take the longest to get around to putting ball to racquet. For another, her abbreviated service action is uniquely quirky, involving her looking away from the court and back again before striking the ball, a little like a baseball pitcher.

The pivotal game in the first set came at 3-4, when Kleybanova sent down three double faults to gift Williams a break point, and then sent a forehand wide to make it 3-5. Kleybanova was massaging her neck on her service arm side, the right, but she could not loosen it sufficiently to save the set. Williams served it out at the first opportunity.

In 12 appearances at Wimbledon, Williams has never lost in the fourth round. That is not to say that she has always got this far, merely that this is not a hurdle that statistically has caused her problems.

Here, she underlined her first-set advantage in the first game of the second, leaving Kleybanova stranded at the net when the Russian attempted to demonstrate her love of grass with a spot of serve and volley.

Venus easily out-thought Kleybanova's second serve to take the break immediately, and then seized another when the Russian dumped one of her signature power backhands in the net. Moreover, the reigning champion saved both Kleybanova's chances to reduce the deficit at 4-1. This despite the fact that the Russian clearly thought she had been harshly judged on a line call, although replays showed the call to be correct.

Unusually in Kleybanova the Williams was facing her fourth successive opponent this Wimbledon whom she had never played before. Perhaps Kleybanova's unfamiliarity fazed the American a little. At 5-2 in the second she let three match points go by before sending the ball long to give one break back.

Kleybanova had three chances to level it at 5-5. Had she taken any one of them, this could have been a different match. As it was, Williams required five match points to secure her passage into the quarter-finals.