Tennis: Kuznetsova Eases Into Quarter-finals

Svetlana Kuznetsova has won her fourth-round match against Austria's Tamira Paszek in straight sets. Kuznetsova, the fifth seed, had little trouble in beating her unseeded opponent, who is just 16 years old, 6-3, 6-2.

Paszek, competing in her first Wimbledon, had beaten the 12th seed Elena Dementieva on Monday but did little to trouble Kuznetsova.

With Kuznetsova having taken the first set, play halted for a 30-minute rain break. After the resumption Paszek promptly lost her serve as Kuznetsova sent a backhand down the line. When she started the seventh game with a double-fault, Kuznetsova had sufficient impetus to secure a second break and then hold her own serve to complete the win.

Kuznetova, the 2004 US Open champion, utilized her powerful groundstrokes, and displayed an unusual confidence coming into the net. She will hope to carry her form into the quarter-finals where she will face the winner of the match between her compatriot Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams.