The world's top players Americans Andre Agassi and Serena Williams landed safely in the second week of Wimbledon, but the manner of their arrival was very different.

Agassi, seeking a second Wimbledon title after an 11-year gap, needed three hours 13 minutes to wear down stubborn Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui 5-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 on Saturday.

Defending champion Williams despatched compatriot Laura Granville 6-3, 6-1 in 54 minutes.

"I think I'm serving very well...I was pleased with my serve and the way I moved," said the powerful American who joins big sister Venus in Monday's fourth round where she will meet Elena Dementieva, one of five Russian women still in the hunt.

The 33-year-old Agassi started tentatively, making unforced errors even on his signature two-handed backhand.

The 1.93-metre Aynaoui kept him on his toes with his big serve, slamming down 19 aces.

But eight-times grand slam winner Agassi showed his class winning two tiebreaks and saving three set points in the fourth set.

"I played five good points in a row which came at the perfect time," he said.

Agassi plays another big server in Mark Philippoussis, regarded as one of the most dangerous floaters in the men's singles, in the fourth round, after the Australian beat Czech Radek Stepanek.

"He's every bit as much of a threat," said Agassi.

LAST AUSTRALIAN

After dropping the first set 6-4, the injury-prone Philippoussis, three times a quarter-finalist here, took the next three 7-6, 6-4, 7-6 to become the last surviving Australian in the singles after Alicia Molik was beaten by women's third seed Justine Henin-Hardenne.

French Open champion Henin-Hardenne, whose left hand and fingers are heavily strapped following her fall in the Ordina Open final last weekend, ended the Australian challenge in the women's draw after dishing out a lesson in grasscourt tennis to Molik.

The 2001 Wimbledon runner-up will next face 2000 Roland Garros winner Mary Pierce for a place in the quarter-finals.

Men's French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero stole into the second week with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 defeat of Armenian Sargis Sargsian.

The self-effacing Spaniard is the only grand slam champion besides Agassi left in the men's draw and looked to have adapted well to the slick Wimbledon lawns after playing most of his life on clay.

He meets Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean next week.

Tim Henman kept the home flag flying with a routine 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 victory over qualifier Robin Soderling of Sweden. The 10th seeded Briton, still searching for his country's first men's singles title since 1936, has had a pretty easy time of it so far, meeting three players out of qualifying.

His job will get harder next week when he plays last year's runner-up Argentine David Nalbandian, seeded six.

Teenage sensation Maria Sharapova, replacing injured Anna Kournikova in the crowd's affections, showed she is the real deal with a 6-4, 6-4 humbling of 11th seed Jelena Dokic to set up a meeting with fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Emilie Loit of France 6-1, 6-2.

The fifth Russian Anastasia Myskina knocked out 1994 champion Conchita Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-3.