The third seed Venus Williams stayed on course for a third consecutive Wimbledon title with a 6–1, 6–2 victory over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in their quarter-final while Serena Williams kept the possibility of another all-Williams final alive with a straight sets win over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Venus, seekinrg her sixth title at the All England Club, has not lost a set at Wimbledon since the third round two years ago, and Radwanska, the 11th seed, rarely threatened a shock on a sun-drenched Court One.
"That first set for me was almost perfect," said Venus. "Do I feel invincible? I'd like to say yes, but I really do work at it. Day in and day out. To clock these matches out takes a lot of work."
Williams took the first set in just 27 minutes and although the Pole broke early for a 2–0 lead in the second, the seven-times grand slam winner reeled off six straight games to advance to the semi-final, where she will play Dinara Safina..
Serena Williams produced an error-free opening set to draw first blood against Azarenko, who was the first woman from Belarus to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon since Natasha Zvereva in 1998. The American made light of the heat to produce a running forehand in the third game and then out-hit her young opponent to gain the first break to lead 4-2. She consolidated the break with a two-handed backhand and broke once more to take the set in just 26 minutes.
Azarenko briefly raised her game in the second set to suggest her straight-sets victory over Williams in Miami earlier this year was no fluke. She threatened to strike back in the opening game of the second set, successfully challenging a baseline call to force her first break points of the match, but Williams simply produced three booming serves to avert the danger.
There was a rare moment of alarm for the American when she went over on her ankle in a baseline tumble but quickly got back on her feet to force a break point. The 19-year-old Azarenko had to dig deep to hold serve in the fourth game after coming up with two double faults, and then pounced on a series of second serves from Williams to achieve the first break of the second set.
But Williams broke back immediately, held to love and then broke the teenager again before serving for the match. Her 6-2, 6-3 victory sets up a meeting with Elena Dementieva and ensures that both Thursday's semi-finals will be American-Russian affairs,
Dinara Safina recovered from going a set down to the unseeded German Sabine Lisicki to win 6–7, 6–4, 6–1. It was the second day running the Russian had lost the first set and she admitted she would have to serve better to stand a chance against Venus Williams. "My service today, I think I was Santa Claus serving so many double faults," she said. "On the practice court I don't serve a single double fault. The serve is there, I just have to put the brain there.
"I know what I have to do, I'm just not doing it. It's not going to be easy against Venus on grass but I have nothing to lose. I want to go out there and enjoy it and show my best tennis. I'm happy that I'm in the semis – I was tough mentally and I think that was the key today."
Safina's compatriot Elena Dementieva reached her second successive Wimbledon semi-final with a straighforward victory over Italian Francesca Schiavone on Court One. The Olympic champion and fourth seed won 6–2, 6–2 to set-up a semi-final against Serena Williams.
"I'm just very happy to be in the semi-final again," said Dementieva. "It was a tough match despite the score. The weather conditions were tough today so I'm glad to go through. I was trying to play very aggressive and make it as quick as possible because it is very hot out there. I am sure it will be a tough challenge for me against Serena, as she likes to play on grass. But I just want to give myself another try."
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