LONDON (Reuters) - Champion Venus Williams cranked up the power on Saturday to thunder into the fourth round of Wimbledon on Saturday, beating Spanish qualifier Maria Martinez Sanchez 6-1 7-5.
The American, pursuing a fifth title at the All England Club, appeared to be in a hurry to join sister Serena in the last 16 and went about her task with ruthless efficiency.
Left hander Martinez Sanchez had taken a set off Venus in their only previous meeting but during the first 22 minutes of their contest on Saturday it seemed she might be heading for a dreaded whitewash.
Venus raced into a 5-0 lead and though Martinez Sanchez briefly interrupted the run to win her first game, the 28-year-old American sealed the set with a 188 kph serve. The Spaniard provided stiffer resistance in the second before Venus ended the match with her fastest delivery of the day, a 204 kph thunderbolt.
(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Clare Lovell)
