The sun was shining brightly once more as day six of Wimbledon began at the All England London Club in south-west London on Saturday.
Serena Williams wasted little time in securing her place in Monday's fourth round with a comprehensive 6-0, 7-5 win over unseeded Dominika Cibulkova.
The defending champion raced through the first set in just 18 minutes.
The Slovakian seemed to have shed her nerves in the second set in which she played much better, although she still could do little on Williams's serve.
Cibulkova saved a match point in the 10th game, but two games later the top seed sealed a 67-minute win with her second.
The Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova beat 14th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-5, 6-0 as Court 18 claimed another victim.
Azarenka did not win another game after serving for the first set at 5-4.
Poland's seventh seed, Agnieszka Radwanska, went through to the fourth round after a fairly simple 6-3, 6-1 win over Sara Errani, the 32nd seed from Italy.
Sweden's Robin Soderling bulldozed his way into the second week for the second year running with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 victory over 25th seed Thomaz Bellucci.
The sixth seed found the Brazilian a tough nut to crack in the opening set, but made the breakthrough after a display of violent hitting.
Soderling, bidding to be the first Swede to reach the final since Stefan Edberg in 1990, dashed through the second in 31 minutes and continued his run through the draw without losing a set when the Brazilian thrashed a backhand long.
He will face David Ferrer for a place in the quarter-finals on Monday after the Spanish ninth seed came from 4-2 down in the fifth to beat Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 7-5.
Third seed Caroline Wozniacki overcame a battling performance from fellow teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to beat the Russian 7-5, 6-4 and reach the fourth round.
The 19-year-old Dane, who also reached the same stage of the tournament last year before bowing out, was never at her best but eventually out-slugged her younger rival from the baseline.
Eighteen-year-old Pavlyuchenkova had her moments, breaking early in the second set, but could not sustain the momentum as she lost to Wozniacki for the third time this year.
World number one Rafael Nadal survived to reach the second week after again being pushed to the limit to overcome inspired German Philipp Petzschner 6-4 4-6 6-7 6-2 6-3.
The 2008 champion had to battle back from two sets to one down in the previous round against Robin Haase and was forced to do so again.
Although Nadal eventually came through, doubts over his fitness were raised for the second week of the tournament with the Spaniard receiving frequent visits from the trainer for treatment on his arm and legs in the three hours and 45 minutes contest.
Nadal also received an official warning by the match umpire for coaching by his uncle and coach Toni Nadal sat in the players' box.
Maria Sharapova set up a mouth-watering fourth round match against Serena Williams as the 2004 champion broke the dogged resilience of Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-5 6-3.
The Russian 16th seed sealed victory with a screaming, in more ways then one, ace.
Andy Murray's Wimbledon challenge gathered pace as he cruised past Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1 6-4 6-4.
Murray, hoping to become the first British man to win the singles title since 1936, overwhelmed Simon in a 23-minute first set and although he was made to work harder there on in he always had his opponent under control.
An ace clinched his third straight sets victory.
SNTV