VENUS WILLIAMS STILL HUNGRY

Venus Williams dished out revenge against Carla Suarez Navarro
SERVED UP COLD - Venus Williams dished it out against Carla Suarez Navarro

Champion serves up gourmet performance

Carla Suarez Navarro
BRUSHED ASIDE - Carla Suarez Navarro

VENUS WILLIAMS has complained about not being able to eat in the Wimbledon locker room but she discovered a dish to her liking on the Centre Court.

It was called Revenge. Best served cold and delivered with a touch of relish by the reigning champion.

Venus demolished Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3 in an 81-minute gourmet performance.

The Spanish girl had beaten Venus in the Australian Open earlier this year and the American admitted: "Yeah, it was a nice revenge but these were completely different circumstances. In Australia, I had a lot of opportunities, but didn't take advantage of them.

"That loss was a little on my mind but it was just a case of learning from that and pushing it forward."

Venus has now won 17 straight matches at Wimbledon and 29 straight sets. She has chewed up every player who has dared to enter her Centre Court domain, apart from her sister Serena.

And Venus admits it is the perfect home for her hard-hitting aggression. Venus said: "It definitely feels really, really natural when I'm out there. I definitely feel calm, and I know what I need to execute on the court. I feel good."

Snacks may be off the menu in the changing room - another quirky new rule imposed by the All-England blazer brigade - but Venus sank her teeth into this encounter.

She rattled off the first set in 33 minutes and it was 45 minutes before the nervous Navarro finally won a game.

Chance

Venus now meets Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round after the former world No 1 put out Australian Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-2.

And Ivanovic sent out a warning she is no longer afraid of the big-hitter.

The Serb said: "Venus is a very dangerous opponent but I think I have a great chance of beating her and I am feeling very comfortable going into the game.

"I played her here two years ago and I can take a lot from that match - I am a lot better than I was then and a lot better than I was a year ago

"I am really starting to understand how to play on grass."

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