Venus Again Is Rising at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England, June 28 -- It hasn't been a particularly memorable start to the tennis season for Venus Williams. The former world No. 1 has failed to reach the final of a single tournament, and she was unceremoniously bounced before the semifinals in both Grand Slam events to date, the Australian and French opens.

But something magical happens when Venus alights at the All England club. She may have been reared a world away in Compton, Calif., but the manicured lawns that host Wimbledon each summer are her true home, as she has won the coveted championship four times in the last eight years.

Wimbledon's grass courts, of course, have bedeviled many of the game's greats -- Monica Seles, Ivan Lendl and Ken Rosewall, to name a few. But they bring out the best in Williams, accentuating her power, the glorious reach of her 6-foot-1 frame, her lightning reflexes and uncommon athleticism.

"My game seems to just get better when I'm here," Williams, the victor in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2007, said earlier this week.

On Saturday, she took the next step in that progression, easing into Wimbledon's fourth round with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over María José Martínez Sánchez of Spain. She has yet to lose a set in three matches.

There was much for tournament organizers to celebrate on the day known as "People's Saturday."

No favorites fell -- a welcome change after the early rounds saw the exodus of 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and top-seeded Ana Ivanovic, as well as third-seeded Novak Djokovic and two-time finalist Andy Roddick.

Among those advancing Saturday was second-seeded Jelena Jankovic, who wrenched a knee during a come-from-behind victory over the latest teen sensation, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Jankovic squawked and fretted her way through the match, challenging a half-dozen line calls and twice summoning medical assistance before prevailing, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Joining her was second-seeded Rafael Nadal, who is bidding to snap Roger Federer's five-year chokehold on the men's title. Nadal, still giddy over the Spanish soccer team's semifinal victory in the European Championship, subdued a spirited challenge by Germany's Nicolas Kiefer, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-3.

After an uncommonly sunny first week, the tournament now takes its traditional breather, with no matches played on Sunday before play resumes Monday with 16 men and 16 women remaining.

By most accounts, the early upsets have strengthened the prospects of Wimbledon's defending champions repeating this year.

For Federer, the toughest challenge remains a familiar one: Nadal, 22, whom he has met in the final in five of the last nine Grand Slam events.