Serena, Djokovic stay afloat

Ferrer rallies to down Dolgopolov in five-set marathon; Li survives London (AFP): Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams cruised effortlessly into the Wimbledon fourth round as the first week's shockwaves left just eight of the top 20 seeds still standing. World No. 1 Djokovic, the 2011 champion, destroyed French 28th seed Jeremy Chardy, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in just 86 minutes.

He fired 38 winners, eight aces and committed just three unforced errors. Djokovic, yet to drop his serve, will tackle veteran Tommy Haas for a place in the quarterfinals, just weeks after he beat the German in the French Open quarterfinals. But 13th-seeded Haas beat the Serb star in Miami this season and also got the better of him in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2009. Women's defending champion Serena Williams was equally ruthless taking just over an hour to carve out a 6-2, 6-0 win over Japanese 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm. It was the 600th win of Williams's career as the American continued her gentle cruise towards a sixth Wimbledon title and 17th Grand Slam crown. She will face German 23rd seed Sabine Lisicki for a quarterfinal place where victory will also give her a 35th successive win, taking her level with sister Venus's record set in 2000. Only four of the top 10 men's seeds and four of the top 10 in the women's draw have made it to the second week after the Grand Slam heavyweights of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka had all exited by Wednesday. The men's fourth round will feature five men making their maiden appearance at the fourth round stage. France's Kenny De Schepper, the 26-year-old world number 80, beat Argentine 22nd seed Juan Monaco, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 to book a last-16 spot at a major for the first time. Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, a quarterfinalist last year, managed to escape the caranage. But he needed five sets to beat Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Ferrer will face Croatia's Ivan Dodig, the world 49, for a place in the quarterfinals. Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych, the runner-up in 2010, claimed his ninth win in nine meetings with South Africa's Kevin Anderson, coming through 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. Berdych takes on unseeded Australian Bernard Tomic, a quarterfinalist in 2011, who put out French ninth seed, Richard Gasquet, 7-6 (9/7), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5). Dodig reached his first fourth round at Wimbledon when Dutchman Igor Sijsling quit trailing 6-0, 6-1, 1-0. Sijsling's withdrawal equalled the injury pullouts record of 13 from 2008. Italian 23rd seed Andreas Seppi beat Japan's Kei Nishikori 3-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4, also for a maiden last-16 place. In the women's draw, Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, the runner-up to Williams last year, defeated Madison Keys of the United States 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. She will face 2010 semifinalist, Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria who defeated Petra Martic of Croatia 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Chinese sixth seed Li Na survived a roller-coaster of a battle to edge Czech veteran Klara Zakopalova 4-6, 6-0, 8-6.