Venus Williams has set up a Wimbledon third round clash against Carla Suarez Navarro – the woman who defeated her at the Australian Open.

The defending champion only needed 69 minutes to brush aside Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 6-3 6-2 in the second round today. Williams now faces a tricky encounter against Navarro, who played some scintillating tennis to beat the American in Australia.

Williams will have to be on top form to overturn the talented Spaniard, but worryingly for her fans, the three-time champion played today with heavy strapping on her knee.

"It was just for support, that's all," insisted Williams. "I'll be wearing it in doubles too because it's working out. I really hate tape but I needed it this time and I accepted that, because this is Wimbledon."

Elsewhere, top seed Dinara Safina remains on course to reach her third Grand Slam final of the year as she eased to a 6-3 7-5 win over Rossana De Los Rios.

Safina will next play Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens, who crushed the last British woman left in the draw Elena Baltacha.

French Open champion Svetland Kuznetsova was another comfortable winner as she beat Pauline Parmentier 6-1 6-3.

After the match, Kuznetsova had a slight dig at the tournament officials for not putting the top players on centre court, saying: "They don't have to put me Centre Court, but the schedule is a little bit weird.

"If you look at the schedule, it's not about only me. It's about Dinara Safina plays on court No. 2, Venus plays on court No. 1, and girls who are not very high-seeded, they play Centre. But in Wimbledon you have to expect anything. That's why I like it, because it's unpredictable."

Ana Ivanovic was made to work hard in the first set before coming through 7-5 6-1 against Sara Errani, while Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki continues to impress as she beat Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-0 6-4.
© Adfero Ltd