Title-holder Venus sets up Safina semi-final

Defending champion Venus Williams closed in on a sixth Wimbledon title yesterday with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska whose quarter-final challenge melted in the searing heat.

It will be the 29-year-old American's eighth semi-final appearance in 10 years at Wimbledon and she next tackles Dinara Safina, the world number one and top seed, who will be playing in her first.

Victory there would increase the chances of a fourth all-Williams final after sister Serena eliminated Belarussian Victoria Azarenka 6-2 6-3 in her quarter-final.

Venus, bidding to become the first woman to win a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles since Steffi Graf's three-in-a-row from 1991 to 1993, has now won 32 consecutive sets at the All England Club, a run stretching back to the third round in 2007.

She shrugged off the 33-degree heat to breeze through the first set in 27 minutes, serving up two love games on her way to a 5-0 lead before the 11th seeded Radwanska got on the board.

The Pole broke to love to lead 2-0 in the second set but that was as good as it got for the 20-year-old who had no answer to the American's brutal hitting power. Venus ran away with the next six games to claim victory in 68 minutes.

"I really had to play well. It was close at the start of the second set. She's a good grass court player so I'm happy just to get through," said the third seed.

Safina, still searching for a first Grand Slam title, had to come back from a set down for the second day in succession as the Russian saw off unseeded German teenager Sabine Lisicki 6-7 6-4 6-1.

Safina was hit with a code violation for racquet abuse when she double-faulted on set-point in the first set tie-break, but she recovered her composure to make the last four.

"I think I was Santa Claus today serving so many double faults," said Safina, who served up 15 in all.

"It's not going to be easy playing against Venus. She likes playing on grass and I have nothing to lose."

Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, like Safina still without a Grand Slam title, reached her second successive Wimbledon semi-final with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over London-based Italian Fran-cesca Schiavone.

Dementieva, who has not dropped a set so far and lost just 20 games, will tackle two-time champion Serena, the second seed, in tomorrow's semi-final.

"I wish I had had a little more fight so far, but it's good to win my matches in straight sets," said Dementieva, the Olympic gold medallist.

Men's QFs

Today - Karlovic vs Federer; Murray vs Ferrero; Haas vs Djokovic; Hewitt vs Roddick.