LONDON, June 29: Justine Henin and Serena Williams moved closer to another Grand Slam quarter-final, each easily advancing on Friday to the fourth round at Wimbledon. Henin, trying to complete a career Grand Slam with a title at the All England Club, beat Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-1, 6-3. Williams defeated Milagros Sequera of Venezuela 6-1, 6-0 in 43 minutes.

Martina Hingis, the 1997 Wimbledon champion, lost to Laura Granville of the United States 6-4, 6-2 on Court No 2, known as the ‘Graveyard of Champions’.

Janko Tipsarevic saved a match point before upsetting No 5 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 8-6 in the men's draw.

Gonzalez, the Australian Open runner-up, sent a backhand into the net at 30-40 in the 12th game of the fifth set. He was two points from winning on six occasions.

Former top-ranked player Juan Carlos Ferrero beat No 9 James Blake of the United States 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). No 15 Ivan Ljubicic also lost, while No 13 Tommy Haas advanced by beating No 21 Dmitry Tursunov 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

Henin beat Williams in the French Open quarter-finals, then went on to win her third straight title at Roland Garros. Williams, who had 27 winners and saved three break points on Friday, won the Australian Open in January.

The top-ranked Henin, who lost to Amelie Mauresmo in last year's Wimbledon final, again played with a long strip of black tape running down the side of her right leg. She said she's been bothered by tendinitis in her right foot.

The match was suspended for more than an hour because of rain with Henin leading 3-2 in the second set. When play resumed, Henin broke in the eighth game and then served out the match.

In three rounds so far at this year's tournament, Henin has dropped only 11 games.

Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam champion, returned to professional tennis in January 2006 after a three-year retirement. She reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in January, and is ranked No 11 by the WTA.

Granville is in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the second time in her career. She also won three matches in her debut in 2002.

Security at Wimbledon increased on Friday after British police thwarted an apparent car bomb attack in central London. Police discovered a parked car packed with gas containers, nails and a detonator.

No 3 Jelena Jankovic, a French Open semi-finalist, rallied to beat Lucie Safarova 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-2, and No. 31 Michaella Krajicek upset No 8 Anna Chakvetadze 7-6 (10-8), 6-7 (5-7), 6-2.

Jankovic double-faulted to lose the first set, and then was broken in the final game of the second set to send it to a tiebreaker. In the third set, which started after a 30-minute rain delay, the Serb broke Safarova in the sixth and eighth games.

Krajicek, who had to wait through two rain delays to reach the fourth round, is the sister of 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek.

Also, No 15 Patty Schnyder beat No 24 Alona Bondarenko 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 and will next face Henin. No 18 Marion Bartoli beat No 16 Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-2.

Later on Friday, top-ranked men’s player Roger Federer was playing two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, while No 3 Andy Roddick was also to play.

Rafael Nadal, the second seed, eased into the third round on Thursday

When he defeated Austria's Werner Eschauer 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 on Centre Court to set up a third round clash with Sweden's Robin Soderling, the 28th seed.

Friday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Third round: 20-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat 9-James Blake (US) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); 13-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat 21-Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) beat 15-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3; Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) beat 5-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 8-6.Women’s singles:

Third round: 10-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat 19-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Laura Granville (US) beat 9-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) 6-4, 6-2; 7-Serena Williams (US) beat Milagros Sequera (Venezuela) 6-1, 6-0; 18-Marion Bartoli (France) beat 16-Shahar Peer (Israel) 6-3, 6-2; 31-Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) beat 8-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) 7-6 (10-8), 6-7 (5-7), 6-2; 3-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat 25-Lucie Safarova (Czech

Republic) 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; 15-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat 24-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-4, 3-6, 8-6; 1-Justine Henin (Belgium) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-1, 6-3.

Thursday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

Second round: 2-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Werner Eschauer (Austria) 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; 6-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Chris Guccione (Australia) 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2; 22-Guillermo Canas (Argentina) beat Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4); 23-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Frank Dancevic (Canada) 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; 10-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat Nicolas Devilder (France) 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 4-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Yvonne Meusburger (Austria) 6-1, 6-2.—Agencies