Erakovic's conqueror takes out grumpy Jankovic

Top three women's seeds out of Wimbledon

Jelena Jankovic's fourth-round defeat at Wimbledon early today (NZ time) ensured the second week began with yet another shock, completing the cull of the top three women's seeds.

The Serb's wait for a first grand slam final appearance goes on after an error-strewn 6-3 6-2 defeat by Tamarine Tanasugarn, who at 31 was the oldest woman to reach this year's last 16 and now the first Thai quarterfinalist at a grand slam.

Two days earlier Tanasugarn had eliminated New Zealand's big hope, Marina Erakovic, in three sets.

Jankovic, who needed running repairs on her left knee, showed only fleeting glimpses of her normally tenacious game against the world number 60 before aiming a verbal volley at tournament organisers who shunted her out to Court 18.

"I was almost playing in the parking lot. I almost needed a helicopter to go to my court," Jankovic, who needed injections in her knee before the match, told reporters.

Her demise means it is the first time since seedings were introduced in 1927 that the top three women's seeds have fallen before the quarter-finals.

Top seed Ana Ivanovic and third seed Maria Sharapova had their hopes trampled into the Wimbledon turf last week by players ranked in the 100s.

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At least the seeding committee can rely on the Williams sisters and Roger Federer not to fluff their lines.

Venus Williams, seeded seventh this year, continued to pick her way through the carnage with few alarms with a 6-3 6-4 defeat of teenager Alisa Kleybanova, one of six Russian women to reach the last 16.

With Tamarine next, a seventh Wimbledon singles final is looming on the Venus horizon and sister Serena looks favourite to be on the other side of the net after she followed her older sibling on to Court Two to despatch Bethanie Mattek 6-3 6-3.

"I'm very happy to get through," champion Venus Williams told reporters. "The reality now is that everybody comes to grand slams with double vengeance and no match is a given, you have to work for it."

Federer was imperious against Lleyton Hewitt, the last man to win the title here before he embarked on his five-year domination of the tournament, winning 7-6 6-2 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals without the loss of a set.

The Swiss now comes face to face with the last man to beat him at Wimbledon, after unseeded Croat Mario Ancic won 3-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 13-11 against Spain's Fernando Verdasco. A cliffhanger of a final set alone lasted 95 minutes.

Chinese wildcard Zheng Jie, who ended Ivanovic's tournament in round three, backed up that performance with a solid 6-3 6-4 defeat of Hungary's Agnes Szavay.

She is the second woman from China to reach the last eight at Wimbledon, emulating Li Na's run two years ago. Zheng faces Czech Nicole Vaidisova next after she won 4-6 7-6 6-3 against eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze.

- Reuters