Williams Routs Capriati

Defending champion Serena Williams swept into the semi-finals with a blistering victory over Jennifer Capriati in just 42 minutes on Centre Court.

It was a superb performance from Williams, who broke the No7 seed early in the opening set and never looked back as she raced to a 6-1, 6-1 triumph.

Williams is on course to become the first woman to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles since Steffi Graf between 1991 and 1993.

"I've been thinking about that since the beginning of the tournament," she said. "It's an awesome moment in my career. I'm really excited."

Capriati, twice a Wimbledon semi-finalist, beat Williams at the French Open exactly one month ago, but looked out of sorts and failed to find the form which had taken her to the quarter-finals without dropping a set.

The third game of the opening set proved to be crucial, Williams forcing no fewer than four break points, only to spurn them when either wide or long with her returns.

But when a netted forehand gave the champion another chance to break, it was Capriati who sealed her own fate with a double fault to trail 2-1.

When Capriati netted a backhand return towards the end of the fifth game, the champion had another break point, which was converted when her opponent again tamely returned the ball into the net and Williams had a commanding 4-1 lead.

A love service game for the No1 seed followed, which included a booming 117mph ace, before an overhead forehand smash gave Williams a chance to break again for the set, which she did at the second time of asking when Capriati's baseline return was just long.

Following Williams' eight-month injury lay-off, the American has dropped down the WTA rankings and, at No10, is currently three places below Capriati. But rankings did no justice to the massive gulf between the two former world No1s, as a free-flowing Williams again broke early in the second set.

Capriati finally got something on the board when Williams double-faulted twice at the end of the third game, before normal service was resumed when another unforced error gave Williams a chance to break to love, which she accepted with a superb cross-court forehand into the corner from the baseline.

When the No7 seed netted a low backhand, it was 4-1 to Williams and two wild long forehands from Capriati gave Williams the chance to serve for the match. She saved a break point before another backhand into the net from Capriati set her up for victory, which was clinched by a lovely drop shot.

Williams admitted she was shocked by the margin of victory. "I was very surprised, I was really focused, I knew what I wanted to do," she said.

"I have some goals here and I'm just trying to reach them. I know when I play Jennifer I have to play really tough, even at the end she was trying to come back. I can't let up at all."