Venus Thais up semi berth

Venus Williams swept into the semi-finals of Wimbledon this afternoon with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Tamarine Tanasugarn on Court One.

The defending champion was not at her best but managed to overpower her diminutive opponent, who showed plenty of courage but was let down by a feeble serve.

Williams at times looked every inch the favourite to retain her crown but made enough errors to suggest she could yet be vulnerable.