LONDON, July 1: Top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt extended an impressive string of straight-set victories Monday, getting home and dry with a first-ever place in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships.

The Australian world number 1 dispatched Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Centre Court and pronounced himself satisfied with a brief day’s work on the grass of the All England club.

“I was expecting a tough match going out,” said the winner, who has not lost a set since his start a week ago. “I was happy to get through in straights.”

The win was Hewitt’s second over Youzhny in three weeks after beating the Russian in a pre-Wimbledon event in Holland. The 21-year- old-Australian tuned up for what he hopes is a trophy run here by lifting his third straight title on the grass of Queen’s club last month.

He stands second in the grass-court trophy list with four titles to the ten of seven-time Wimbledon winner Pete Sampras, a second- round upset victim in this edition of upsets.

For the unflappable Hewitt, steady as she goes is the key second week. “They were tough conditions,” he said of the chilly and wet day.

“You don’t want to spend a lot of time out there, you want to get to locker room as soon as possible. I’m pretty happy to have gotten through in straight sets.”

Hewitt will next face Sjeng Schalken,who has made his best career progression at any Grand Slam by getting past the third round. The Dutchman continued by beating Czech Jiri Vacek 6-2, 7-5, 7-5.

In keeping with the unpredictable nature of this year’s tournament, a pair of clay-courters are set for a quarter-final on Wednesday.

Brazilian Andre Sa imitated his football compatriots with a follow-up win, beating Spain’s Felciano Lopez 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 to book his place in the last eight. Waiting there on the lawns will be Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti, who ousted Frenchman Arnaud Clement 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Argentine David Nalbandian winner of a clay title last spring in Estoril, nullified the huge grass serve of Aussie Wayne Arthurs 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 7-6 (9-7).

The victory ended Arthurs’ streak of 54 consecutive winning service games into the last 16 of the event.

Two-time champion women’s Venus Williams showed off her new, improved volleys to start her second week in style a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Lisa Raymond.

Williams reached the quarter-finals of the grass-court Grand Slam and couldn’t be happier with her form after a shaky win two days ago against Canadian outsider Maureen Drake which took three sets and around 90 minutes on time.

The American top seed was joined as a winner on a day when the first rain of the fortnight forced a slight delay in the afternoon start of play by Russian Elena Likhovtseva, who beat Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva 6-3, 6-4.

Williams, competing here for the sixth time, was relieved to get through into the last eight in her usual overwhelming style, her mistakes and uncertainty of the third round forgotten.

“I’m just trying to improve every time I go on court,” said the 22-year-old. “I didn’t play as well as I could on Saturday, today I just tried to get my feet moving.”

Williams credited doubles with her second-seeded sister Serena for sharpening up her net game on the grass where it counts the most. “The doubles has helped my volleys a lot, that’s why I came in so much. I was confident with my volleys.”

Williams also counts on her past experience as champion to help her on her way. “It’s nice to know that I’ve won it before, I have a lot going for me with that,” said the only former champion in the women’s field.

But the American added: “I’m not in danger of overconfidence. Anyone can give me a lot of trouble, so it’s nice that I played well.”

Second seed Serena Williams joined big sister Venus in the quarterfinals blasting aside fellow American Chanda Rubin 6-3 6-3 in a rain-interrupted clash.

The 20-year-old, who beat Venus for the French Open crown last month, put a handful of indifferent performances behind her to end Rubin’s hopes on Centre Court.

Rubin won the warm-up grasscourt title in Eastbourne last month and had looked in confident form on the All England Club turf during the first week, but Serena cranked her game up a level and simply overpowered her opponent.

A break in the sixth game was enough for her to clinch the opener and she broke Rubin’s spirit straight away with a break to start the second set.

The pair were off court for a little under two hours but when they returned after the rain, Serena wrapped matters up very quickly with another break — her second of the set — to clinch victory.

RESULTS:

Men (fourth round):

22-Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) beat Arnaud Clement (France) 3-6 7-5 2-6 7-5 6-3; Andre Sa (Brazil) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3 7-5 4-6 6-3; 28-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (9-7); 1-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-3 6-3 7-5; 18-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) beat Jan Vacek (Czech Republic) 6-2 7-5 7-5

WOMEN (fourth round):

2-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Chanda Rubin (U.S.) 6-3 6-3; 1-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat 16-Lisa Raymond (U.S.) 6-1 6-2; Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat 19-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) 6-3 6-4

REMAINING MATCHES

MEN: 27-Xavier Malisse (Belgium) v 23-Greg Rusedski (Britain); Mark Philippoussis (Australia) v Richard Krajicek (Netherlands)

WOMEN: Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) v 3-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.); 4-Monica Seles (U.S.) v 20-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand); 19-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) v Elena Likhovtseva (Russia); Laura Granville (U.S.) v 9-Amelie Mauresmo (France); 12-Elena Dementieva (Russia) v 6-Justine Henin (Belgium); 7-Jelena Dokic (Yugoslavia) v 11-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia)—dpa/Reuters