Sharapova, Serena, Venus reach third round at Wimbledon
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-24 11:31

Defending champion Maria Sharapova and two-time winners Serena Williams and Venus Williams posted second-round victories Thursday at Wimbledon. 

The second-seeded Sharapova registered her 19th straight win on grass with a 46-minute 6-0, 6-1 triumph over 15-year-old rising Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva.

Karatantcheva couldn't pull off another upset after recently downing the former world No. 1 Venus at the French Open. The promising teen had just three winners and committed 20 unforced errors against the hard-hitting Sharapova.

Sharapova, who stunned Serena in last year's Wimbledon final, next faces Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia. Srebotnik moved on with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Korean Yoon Jeong Cho.

The fourth-seeded Serena got off to a sluggish start against Italian Mara Santangelo, who easily won the first set on Day 4.

But Serena charged back in the second and ultimately won 12 of the final 17 games to post a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision.

The former world No. 1 Serena is a seven-time Grand Slam champion, including back-to-back Wimbledon titles in 2002 and 2003. The American superstar captured the Australian Open back in January by besting current world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the all-American final.

Serena will battle fellow American Jill Craybas in the next round.

A 14th-seeded Venus, who reached four straight finals here from 2000-03, got past veteran Aussie Nicole Pratt 7-5, 6-3. The four-time Grand Slam champ titled here back-to-back in 2000 and 2001 and was the back-to-back runner-up to her younger sister Serena in '02 and '03.

Venus' third-round opponent will be dangerous Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova.

French Open runner-up Mary Pierce went the distance to overcome Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 9-7. The 12th-seeded Pierce lost to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the Roland Garros finale a few weeks ago.

Pierce will meet promising Serb Ana Ivanovic in the round of 32.

Eighth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova moved on with a 6-1, 6-2 shellacking of France's Severine Beltrame, while 11th-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva was ousted by Czech Kveta Peschke 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Petrova, who reached the French Open semifinals earlier this month, will tangle with Zimbabwe's Cara Black in the third round.

Also winning on Thursday was Greek Eleni Daniilidou, who shocked the French Open champion and seventh-seeded Henin-Hardenne here on Tuesday. The oft- injured Daniilidou pasted American Laura Granville 6-2, 6-0 to advance on Day 4.

Meanwhile, No. 16 Nathalie Dechy of France beat wild card Jane O'Donoghue of Great Britain 6-2, 6-1; the No. 19 Ivanovic erased Frenchwoman Stephanie Foretz 6-4, 6-3; a 20th-seeded Hantuchova got past Israeli Shahar Peer 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; and 26th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta pasted Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-2, 6-4.

Mild upsets came when Craybas took out 29th-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 6-1, 6-4 and Black bounced 32nd-seeded Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

Additional wins came for 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez and Ukrainian Alyona Bondarenko. Martinez mauled Puerto Rican Kristina Brandi 6-2, 6-3, while Bondarenko held off Russian Tatiana Panova 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

The third round will get underway on Friday, including matches for the top- Davenport and former world No. 1s Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters.

The 1999 champion and 2000 Wimbledon runner-up Davenport will be opposed by 30th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina, the younger sister of men's star Marat Safin.

The third-seeded Mauresmo will encounter American Shenay Perry, while the 15th-seeded Clijsters will lock horns with Italian Roberta Vinci. Clijsters is seeking her eighth straight victory on grass, having titled on the surface at Eastbourne just last week.

The Day-5 schedule will also feature matches for a trio of tough Russians -- U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, U.S. Open runner-up Elena Dementieva and 2004 French Open titlist Anastasia Myskina. The sixth-seeded Dementieva will face American Mashona Washington.

The first four days of this fortnight have been rain-free, but some inclement weather is in the forecast here for Friday.

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