Federer and Clijsters Advance on a Busy Day

Every Monday, Wimbledon bombarded the senses with the overhead of tennis, match after match after match intriguing showdown, from the afternoon till night and from the center court before the Court 18.

Roger Federer rolled into the quarterfinals with a victory even easier, while Venus Williams avoided his toughest challenge, while Kim Clijsters rallied from one set down and called her fellow Belgian Justine Henin in the tournament.

These parties are not only developed in the same day but at the same time. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova had not yet started a rematch of the 2004 final. Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick were all hours of heating. In women alone, the seeds were third and fourth place in the afternoon.

Tennis fans often rank the second Monday of Wimbledon among the best days on the calendar for this sport, if not the top. Each of the 16 remaining men and women fighting for beds in the quarter-finals and this year, 24 seeded players remained, including 15 seeded 10 or higher.

"There was not much room for error," Venus said Williams.

She played before the others, but too late to cut 2, because it was expected that someone from the tournament in his escort for the party. That happens in the two main courts, which is where almost always plays Williams. But not Monday.

Once there, Williams found an unorthodox opponent Jarmila Groth, who was the right hand, but sometimes came back with the left. Groth is ambidextrous, though stronger from the right.

The service, ahead, 5-4, Williams won the set-point with a winner right that Groth dizzy as a crossover dribble. Groth missed a forehand on the next point, but Williams forced a second tie-break, which Williams won to take the match 6-4 7-6 (5).

"She played very well," Williams said.

With Williams struggling to its destination, Clijsters and Henin sound traded groundstrokes from the baseline on Court 1. Henin scraped elbow diving for a shot, as angry demonstrations were marked by a flurry of blonde ponytail.

Henin won the first set with different methods of attack. Sometimes, charged forward and placed backhand volleys into the corners. Other times, she hit one-handed backhand down the line.

"She came out of the blocks very fast," said Clijsters. "She started just really dominant from the start of the meetings. I was overwhelmed."

This marked the 25th meeting between the players, who shot to fame and then broken tennis almost exactly at the same time. Clijsters recovered it behind his powerful forehand. In the end, won, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, to join Williams in the quarterfinals.

While the Belgians fought as if it were 2007 again, Federer made his argument more convincing, however, as the defending champion, rolling over 16th-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria.