Maria Sharapova and a troika of Russian compatriots blazed a record-breaking trail at Wimbledon on Monday while leading men's contenders Roger Federer and Andy Roddick were just as dominant.
On a day when all 16 fourth-round matches were crammed into the schedule, women's top seed Lindsay Davenport won a three-set battle with Belgian Kim Clijsters and US compatriot Venus Williams tasted some sweet sisterly revenge.
Defending champion Sharapova was joined by Anastasia Myskina, Nadia Petrova and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last eight, a record representation for Russia at that stage of a Grand Slam women's singles.
Second seed Sharapova dispatched Nathalie Dechy of France 6-4, 6-2 victory on Court One.
"I'm playing better and better," said the 18-year-old after her fourth consecutive straight-sets win of a so far flawless title defence.
Defending men's champion Roger Federer displayed similar authority in beating 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
Despite recording his 33rd consecutive win on grass, the perfectionist Swiss, who is seeking a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles, was not overly impressed.
"Today I thought it was extremely slow somehow," he said. "It was very hard to overpower him, whereas normally this is my strength.
"I wish I could serve and volley a bit more."
Second seed Roddick cowed Argentine claycourter Guillermo Coria 6-3, 7-6, 6-4.
The American, who lost in last year's final to Federer, ventured to the net more than usual against Coria but said he could not yet afford to plan a rematch with the Swiss.
"It's close, but it's far," the 22-year-old said. "I'm not good enough to overlook the next two matches and look ahead."
Roddick next faces French practice partner Sebastian Grosjean. The ninth seed, a losing semi-finalist at Wimbledon in each of the last two years, needed all his resolve to beat Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Monday.
Australian third seed Lleyton Hewitt had to fight a little harder, losing a third-set tiebreak before beating American Taylor Dent 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
GUTSY MYSKINA
Clijsters lost to Davenport in three sets at this year's French Open and the 15th seed battled gamely on Centre Court to force a third set but double-faulted on match point to hand the 29-year-old American a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 win.
"I was really bummed about not winning the second set but I felt like I did really well up until the very end stages," said the American, who is seeking to add to her 1999 Wimbledon title.
Awaiting Sharapova in the quarter-finals is eighth seed Petrova, who saved two match points before beating Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.
Gutsy ninth seed Myskina came through her third dramatic three-setter in four matches 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 against compatriot Elena Dementieva, the sixth seed whom she beat in the 2004 French Open final.
US Open champion Kuznetsova, on her 20th birthday, completed the Russian quartet by overpowering experienced Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva 6-4, 6-3.
She will face Davenport next while Myskina's quarter-final opponent is third seed Amelie Mauresmo.
A semi-finalist on her last two Wimbledon visits, the French number one overcame a wobbly start to beat yet another Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-4, 6-0.
Her compatriot Mary Pierce brushed aside Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-1 to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final since 1996.
She will next face Venus, who avenged her sister Serena's shock third-round loss to fellow American Jill Craybas by thrashing the 30-year-old 6-0, 6-2 on court two, the scene of Craybas's upset in dwindling light on Saturday.
ANCIC OUT
Spain's Feliciano Lopez will play Hewitt next after upsetting last year's semi-finalist Mario Ancic of Croatia, the 10th seed, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time.
He became the first Spaniard in 33 years to reach the men's quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Fernando Gonzalez, meanwhile, became the first Chilean to reach the last eight at Wimbledon since 1985 with his 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Russia's Mikhail Youzhny.
The only man yet to drop a set, his dubious reward is a quarter-final with Federer.
19-year-old Frenchman Richard Gasquet was swept aside 6-4, 7-6, 6-0 by 18th seed and 2002 runner-up David Nalbandian of Argentina.
In the last eight the Argentine faces 12th seed and 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson. The Swede beat Belarussian Max Mirnyi 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
