Venus Williams moved closer to a fifth Wimbledon title on Saturday as veteran Rainer Schuettler struck a blow for Germany against Spain on the eve of the Euro 2008 football final.

Four-time champion Williams was too strong for Spanish opponent Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez as she joined sister Serena in the last 16 with a 6-1, 7-5 victory.

The reigning champion and seventh seed will face Russian Wimbledon debutant Alisa Kleybanova, who put out Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-4 for a place in the quarterfinals.

Williams reeled off the first five games in just 17 minutes before her Spanish opponent rallied but then closed out the match with a 127 mph serve which equalled her record best.

"It's a blessing to be able to serve like that and it was a good way to end the match," said the 28-year-old American.

"I never try to do serve that hard. It's just what I do. It just comes big to me."

With Sugiyama out, Asian hopes were left riding on Thai 31-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn who staged a superb fightback to reach the fourth round for the seventh time with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over New Zealand's Marina Erakovic.

Tamarine, ranked 60, now has the chance to make it to the quarterfinals for the first time if she can beat either Serbian second seed Jelena Jankovic or Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki.

Tamarine, who won the warm-up event at 's-Hertogenbosch last week after coming through qualifying, shocked Vera Zvonareva, the Russian 13th seed, in the last round.

Russian fifth seed Elena Dementieva also went into the last 16 with a 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 win over Argentina's Gisela Dulko.

Meanwhile, Schuettler, the oldest man left in the men's draw at 32, reached the fourth round for the first time since 2003 with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win over Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Schuettler, now 94 in the world after reaching a career high of five in 2004, will face either Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia or Russia's Dmitry Tursunov for a place in the quarterfinal.

Second seed Rafael Nadal has a chance to rescue Spanish pride against a German opponent on the eve of the Euro 2008 football final when he meets Nicolas Kiefer in his third round match later Saturday.

Britain's Andy Murray, the 12th seed, faces Germany's Tommy Haas in a bid to keep home hopes alive.

AFP