Title-holder and second seed Maria Sharapova stayed on course for a second Wimbledon triumph by defeating Nathalie Dechy of France 6-4, 6-2 on Monday to reach the quarter-finals.
Sharapova will next play the winner of the tie between Nadia Petrova of Russia and Czech Kveta Peschke for a place in the semi-finals.
It was Sharapova's 21st straight win on grass taking in back-to-back wins in Birmingham and last year's stunning Wimbledon triumph.
But the 18-year-old star of the women's game was given a stiff workout early on by the 26-year-old Dechy, an experienced campaigner playing in her 10th Wimbledon.
Shod once again in her flashy gold-specked tennis shoes, Sharapova's play was decidedly ordinary in the opening games of the first set as Dechy pulled her around the court.
But she held firm for 3-3 and then stepped up the pressure on Dechy's following serve breaking with two wonderful backhands, one crosscourt and one down the line.
Sharapova served out twice to take the set 6-4 establishing herself firmly in the driving seat.
She broke again in the third and fifth games of the second set to set up a 5-1 lead and finished the job off with ease on her own serve two games later.
{{/usCountry}}She broke again in the third and fifth games of the second set to set up a 5-1 lead and finished the job off with ease on her own serve two games later.
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