Henin thrashes feeble Hantuchova

By Phil Harlow
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

Henin-Hardenne's fearsome returns dismantled Hantuchova's serve

Justine Henin-Hardenne made Wimbledon's last eight with a 6-3 6-1 win over a misfiring Daniela Hantuchova.

A topsy-turvy first set saw six breaks of serve - four of them going to Henin-Hardenne - setting the third seed on her way to a comfortable victory.

Hantuchova raised hopes of a comeback as she went 0-40 up on Henin-Hardenne's serve in the first game of the second set, but let her opponent off the hook.

The outcome was clear from then on, as Henin-Hardenne swiftly sealed the win.

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Hantuchova paid the price for a flimsy serve, with the 15th seed holding onto her own service game just once in the whole match.

A feisty Henin-Hardenne, looking for the one Grand Slam title to have eluded her, attacked Hantuchova's serve with relish at every opportunity, breaking seven times in a row.

I don't want to look too far in the future Justine Henin-Hardenne

With the temperature on Centre Court soaring past the 30C mark, both players stuck to the baselines but it was Henin-Hardenne who invariably came out of the rallies on top.

Hantuchova did show fighting spirit from time to time, breaking Henin-Hardenne's serve three times in all, but the world number 18 was second best too often to mount a serious challenge.

Henin-Hardenne said she was keen to maintain her quickfire progress after beating Hantuchova in 65 minutes.

"It's good that I'm having quick matches, especially in this heat," she said.

"I don't want to stop here, but I don't want to look too far in the future.

Henin-Hardenne also said the heatwave was affecting the condition of the courts at SW19.

"The court is not in great shape - there's been a lot of sun and is very dry. It's getting slower but sometimes it speeds up and you can get bad bounces."

Clijsters' best Wimbledon run was to the semi-finals in 2003

Number two seed Kim Clijsters effortlessly advanced to the last eight with a 6-2 6-2 win over Wimbledon debutant Agnieszka Radwanska.

Clijsters broke the Polish teenager twice to take the opener with a flurry of fierce serves and big forehands.

Radwanska, who won the junior title last year, converted her first break point of the match in the second set to get on the scoreboard at 5-1.

But by then the damage was done as Clijsters, hardly stopping for breath, wrapped up the match in 49 minutes.

"Agnieszka is a different type of player to what we usually play," Clijsters said. "She's not the type of player who is going to really dictate the points.

"I feel good but the serve was a little bit off - that's something I'll definitely have to keep focusing on."

Meanwhile, Russia's Elena Dementieva marched into the quarter-finals and ended America's interest in this year's singles by beating Shenay Perry 6-2 6-0.

After a slight wobble in the first set the seventh seed, who was broken when serving three double faults in one game, recovered to take the set.

And she raced through the second in just 24 minutes with Perry helpless to do anything about it.

It is the first time Dementieva has reached the last eight at Wimbledon.

Perry's exit makes this the first year there have been no Americans in the quarter-finals of either singles competition was 1911, when only three men and no women from the USA entered the Championships.

"I think it got to me a little bit," she said. "I think when anyone's in a position that they're thrown into for the first time, and being the last American, it is a little nerve-wracking.

"I was really nervous and I think it showed in my match."