Sampras matches Laver

Ossian Shine

Pete Sampras ambled into the last 16 on Friday, matching Rod Laver's record of 31 consecutive Wimbledon wins along the way, but Goran Ivanisevic stole the limelight with a dash of burlesque.

Defending champion Sampras, gunning for a record eighth Wimbledon crown, put his second round wobble against British wildcard Barry Cowan firmly behind him to outclass Sargis Sargsian 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

"It was nice to close it out in straight (sets) today," he said. "I feel like my form is pretty good, I hope I can build from here and raise it a little next week."

Australian and French Open women's champion Jennifer Capriati was made to struggle before she reached the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Russia's Tatiana Panova but Serena Williams, without hitting top form, swept aside Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-1, 6-2.

Power was the winning formula for Ivanisevic and Britain's Greg Rusedski who set up an explosive fourth round clash with impressive victories.

Two of the biggest servers in the game, they left their opponents shell-shocked on day five of the $12 million grasscourt Grand Slam.

SERVING MASTERCLASS

Ivanisevic put rising American teenager Andy Roddick firmly in his place with a masterclass in serving to cruise through 7-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on court one.

The Croatian, three times a losing Wimbledon finalist in the 1990s, then guaranteed his place on back pages around the world by stripping off his shirt and flexing his muscles for the roaring crowd.

"I don't know what to say - just perfect," was his verdict.

"I mean, the way I served today is just too good. I can't ask for more. He was just walking left, right." Ivanisevic has suffered from a bad shoulder injury for two years but success here appears to have worked a cure.

Rusedski, along with sixth-seeded compatriot Tim Henman, ensured a successful day for Britain on Friday, blasting his way past eighth-seeded claycourter Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Henman wore down Dutchman Sjeng Schalken 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Rusedski feels he is in the form to end his losing streak against Ivanisevic -- played eight, lost eight.

"I have got a good chance of ending that run," said Rusedski. "It's great that Goran is back at Wimbledon and playing so well...but hopefully not on Monday."

Eighth women's seed Justine Henin, champion in Den Bosch last week, continued her winning streak on grass, beating Lisa Raymond 6-4, 7-6 while men's fourth seed Marat Safin overcame a mid-match lapse in concentration to continue his best run at Wimbledon by beating German David Prinosil 7-6, 6-3, 5-7, 1-6, 6-3.

LAPSES OF CONCENTRATION

Capriati had to fight her way back from 4-1 down in the second set and realises she has to improve markedly claim the third element of her Grand Slam of major titles.

"I had lapses of concentration but I was happy with the way I finished it," said the fourth seed.

She later teamed up with younger brother Steven in a first round mixed doubles match, but her luck ran out as the Capriatis lost 6-1, 6-4 to Nicole Arendt and Mark Knowles.

Capriati will play Sandrine Testud of France who beat Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-7, 6-2, 6-2.

Sampras's victory sets up a clash with Swiss 15th seed Roger Federer. Only Bjorn Borg -- with 41 consecutive victories -- now betters Sampras's Wimbledon form.

The American never looked in trouble against his Armenian opponent. He broke for the first time in the 10th game when Sargsian punched a backhand long to take the set.

A single break in the second and third sets were enough for Sampras to seal victory.

In women's action promising Russian teenager Lina Krasnoroutskaya thundered into the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Austrian qualifier Barbara Schwartz.

Spain's Conchita Martinez, champion in 1994, beat Lilia Osterloh of the U.S. 6-2, 6-3 after the first matches on court were interrupted for about 90 minutes by rain.

Williams's father and coach Richard said his two girls were "joking around" at Wimbledon but Serena has now lost just eight games in three rounds.

The fifth seed's power was always too much for Gagliardi but the only times the Swiss was able to make an impact on the scoreboard was on Williams's unforced errors.

UNFORCED ERRORS

"I didn't think I played very well at all today. I couldn't get my feet moving and made a lot of unforced errors," Serena said. Williams plays Magdelena Maleeva, seeded 12th, in the fourth round after she beat American Amy Frazier 6-3, 6-2.

Tenth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia was thrashed 6-0, 6-2 by Germany's Anke Huber with the first set whistling by in 12 minutes.

Arnaud Clement of France, the men's 13th seed, beat Dutchman Raemon Sluiter 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-4 while Federer outhit Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman 7-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Russian debutant Andrei Stoliarov saved two match points before completing a marathon five-set comeback victory over former finalist Cedric Pioline of France.

Resuming a second-round match which was stopped due to bad light on Thursday with the score 5-5 in the fifth set, the 24-year-old Russian emerged with a 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 12-10 victory on Court 18 after a total of three hours 52 minutes play.