Claims that the WImbledon courts are getting slower and more favourable to the baseliners are not true: the reality is that courts are prepared in the same way each year by long-time head groundsman Eddie Seaward

Venus Williams is through to the last 16 with an easy victory over Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, although her opponent did fight harder in the second set. The defending champion has yet to drop a set and has conceded only 20 games.

Tamarine Tanasugarn came back from a set down to beat New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The experienced 31-year-old Thai has now reached the fourth round of Wimbledon for the seventh time in her career.

Elena Dementieva beat Gisela Dulko 7-6, 6-4 but at 4-0 down in the first set against a player she had never beaten, the fifth seed would have been forgiven for thinking she was about to become another high-profile casualty.

A changing of the guard took place on Court 18 as Alisa Kleybanova, in her first Wimbledon appearance, brushed aside Ai Sugiyama – a fixture at these Championships for the past 16 years – 6-4 6-3.

Seeds fell with alarming regularity on Thursday – will Federer, Serena Williams, Ivanovic, Safin and Hewitt avoid the curse today? You can follow all the action from all the courts, here on the Championships blog.

Andy Murray will be flying the flag for Britain on the middle Saturday of the Championships, while Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic are among the other players bidding for a place in the fourth round.

Ana Ivanovic on moving from clay to grass, Lleyton Hewitt on the problems in playing Federer, Serena Williams on injuries and Bobby Reynolds on the state of American men’s tennis. Enjoy some of the best quotes from Day 5.

By the close of play on Friday, world No.1 Ana Ivanovic, the last American man Bobby Reynolds, 2007 finalist Marion Bartoli, No.5 seed David Ferrer and 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo had all been sent packing.

Serena Williams is prepared to admit another Wimbledon final against her sister Venus would be a dream come true. But she is also smart enough to know that nothing can be taken for granted in the next rounds.

Marco Baghdatis showed the difference between a top 10 seed and a qualifier with his 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Germany’s Simon Stadler, while Spain’s Fernando Verdasco was too good for Thomas Berdych.