Reginald Brace at Wimbledon: Few signs anyone can challenge dominance of Williams sisters

Wozniacki was walloped 6-2 6-0 by the Czech Petra Kvitova but it is doubtful whether her exit created much of a stir outside SW19, apart from Denmark.

Kim Clijsters rediscovered her forehand in time to topple her Belgian compatriot Justine Henin in three ultimately comfortable sets.

There was also the arrival of China's industrious Li Na in the quarter-finals at the expense of Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland. Li is no stranger to the last eight having reached that stage in 2006.

What remains unclear is how to actually describe this admirable player in print since Na is her first name and Li her surname.

The custom in China apparently is to address people by their second name first but over here we prefer to reverse the process – hence Li Na. Well, it sounds better doesn't it?

Li , who defeated Maria Sharapova to win Birmingham on the eve of Wimbledon, now faces the defending champion , Serena Williams, whose name is pretty conventional by Western standards.

Sharapova returned to Centre Court yesterday to face Serena whom she beat on that magical afternoon six years ago to capture the title at the age of 17. Predictably, in view of the 13 months she spent out of the game with shoulder problems, there was to be no repeat performance.

The shriek is still as strident but the shots did not have the weight or consistency to threaten Serena who, with one or two gasps and grunts herself, came through 7-6 6-4.

At the other end of the draw, meanwhile, sister Venus was carving out an unruffled straight sets victory over Jarmila Groth, a Slovakian who has adopted Australian citizenship.

Apart from Sharapova in 2004 and Amelie Mauresmo in 2006, the Williams sisters have dominated the women's singles at Wimbledon for 10 years.

Venus has won the title five times and her sister three. They played each other in the finals of 2002, 2003 and 2008.

Can anyone break their stranglehold? On yesterday's evidence, not this year.

The men's singles followed a similarly predictable path until mid-evening when Andy Roddick, runner-up in 2009, 2005 and 2004, was toppled 4-6 7-6 7-6 6-7 9-7 by Yen-Hsun Lu from Taiwan, who became the first Asian man to reach the quarter-finals since Shuzo Matsuoka of Japan in 1995.

This was a remarkable performance completed in four hours 36 minutes before a disbelieving but ultimately appreciative crowd on Court Two.

Most people would have backed Roddick to bombard Lu into submission with his powerful serve and muscular forehand but the uncrushable Taipien ran and rallied until the American finally cracked.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal , Tomas Berdych, Novak Djokoviz, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Robin Soderling and the increasingly impressive Andy Murray took up their expected places in the last eight, with the worlds No 1 and 2 looking particularly at ease on the grass surface.

Roddick is the major absentee thanks to the implacable Mr Lu, who showed that perseverance and belief can be priceless assets on a tennis court.