Former world number one Venus Williams [Images] powered her way into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 27th seed Anna Smashnova of Israel.

The eighth seed made 26 unforced errors but was still good enough to romp through the contest in exactly an hour.

Looking for her first Grand Slam title since 2001, Williams began by dropping her serve but with her groundstrokes working well, broke back in the fourth game on her way to taking the opening set.

The American then stepped up a gear in the second and Smashnova, who has never been beyond the third round at Melbourne Park, had no answer.

Williams next faces 10th seed Alicia Molik [Images] of Australia.

Home hope Alicia Molik equalled her best performance at a Grand Slam when she beat unseeded Russian Nadia Petrova 6-3 6-2.

After a tough first set, Molik grew in confidence and eased to victory in 56 minutes.

"Bring it on," Molik said.

The 23-year-old never allowed Panova into the match, smashing 11 aces, with one serve in the final game measured at 196km per hour.

"That's probably one of my fastest ones," she said. "I played pretty well and it was nice to get through in straight sets."

Molik is hoping to become the first Australian woman to win her home Grand Slam since Chris O'Neil in 1978.

World number one Lindsay Davenport [Images] drew on her wealth of experience to overcome teenager Nicole Vaidisova 6-2, 6-4.

The 28-year-old American top seed was pushed hard by the precociously talented 15-year-old Czech but her greater experience proved crucial as she clinched victory in just over an hour.

Vaidisova, appearing in only her second grand slam event, showed why she has been tipped to become the next big thing in women's tennis as she caused Davenport all sorts of problems with her searing groundstrokes.

However, once the American had taken the first set, she was always in control and sealed victory with her eighth ace to set up a meeting with 13th seed Sprem.

The Croatian brushed aside 18th seed Elena Likhovtseva of Russia [Images] 6-4, 6-3.

Sprem grabbed early breaks in both sets and protected her lead to close out the match in 76 minutes on showcourt three at Melbourne Park.

Likhovtseva produced an unacceptably high 29 unforced errors as well as 11 double faults to gift the match to Sprem, who was beaten in the first round last year in her only other appearance in Melbourne.

Myskina didn't have to break any sweat as she was handed an easy passage when 25th seed Lisa Raymond withdrew from their match with a stomach muscle injury.

The American thrashed Czech Klara Koukalova to reach the third round but injured a left stomach muscle after only one game of a second-round doubles match on Friday. She and partner Rennae Stubbs were forced to retire from that match.

Raymond announced her withdrawal from the match against third seed Myskina before play on Saturday.

Myskina will play either 14th seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy [Images] or Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy, the 19th seed, in a bid for her third successive appearance in the Melbourne quarter-finals.

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