Seeds sting opponents with red-hot wins into quarter-finals (1st Update)

Jul 3, 2006, 18:28 GMT

London - Top seeds Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo turned up the heat on opponents on a sweltering summer day at Wimbledon as both raced to straight-set wins into the quarter-finals in week-two routs Monday.

Roger Federer, who has yet to drop a set in his bid for a fourth consecutive trophy at the All England Club, was ruthless in his demolition of Czech number 13 Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

The Swiss world number one has now won four in that series since Berdych beat him at the Athens Olympics.

Mauresmo, who made her Grand Slam breakthrough with the Australian Open title in January, dispatched Serbia's last hope in Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4.

'I wanted to make sure I was good on my service and give her trouble on hers,' said Mauresmo after winning the 101st main draw Grand Slam match of her career.

'I had to stay strong mentally. From now on, every match you play will be a tough one. You have to hang in there, even if you don't feel so good.

'But I feel great here and my game is better and better the more I hit on grass.'

In the women's matches on a day of 40-degree temperatures at times on court in the heat of the day, Belgium's pair of battlers as well as three Russians advanced into the last eight.

For the third time in three Grand Slams this year, just one American got through to the second week after Moscow's two-time Grand Slam finalist Elena Dementieva defeated Shenay Perry 6-2, 6-0.

Second-seed Kim Clijsters and her Belgian compatriot both advanced, with Clijsters overwhelming Pole Agnieszka Radwanska, last year's junior champion, 6-2, 6-2

Number-three Justine Henin-Hardenne, whose 42 wins this season lead the WTA, defeated Slovak Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-1.

Former champion Maria Sharapova and French Open winner Anastasia Myskina completed Russia's winning trio on the day.

Sharapova closed out a tough challenge from Italian Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3, overcoming 10 double-faults.

'I just didn't feel like I was playing my best tennis,' said the teenaged 2004 winner. 'In the end, it all came down to how much I fought.

'It wasn't really about how good or bad I played, or how good she played, because she played extremely well.'

Myskina ended this year's surprise Serbian challenge 6-4, 7-6 (7- 5) over Jelena Jankovic.

Na Li made history as the first Chinese into a Grand Slam quarter, upsetting Czech 10th seed Nicole Vaidisova 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

On the men's side, 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt needed almost three hours to get past clay-courting Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, with the Australian tossing in 38 unforced errors against a neophyte playing only his 11th match on grass.

'When I got the first two sets under my belt, I was pretty happy, but I by no means thought the match was over, that's for sure,' said the sixth seeded winner.

Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis will next line up against Hewitt after destroying British hopes with his defeat of lethargic Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).