Wimbledon: Day 6

* Venus Williams, United States (7), d. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Spain (101), 6-1, 7-5 -- The defending champion’s first week closed beneath a blue sky on Court No. 1 on a 127-mph serve that rocketed to the corner untouched. It seemed like a snapshot of the age.

* Rafael Nadal, Spain (2), d. Nicolas Kiefer, Germany (32), 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-3 -- Spain sends a juggernaut into the Euro 2008 final against Germany today, and a juggernaut into the second week of Wimbledon starting Monday. It’s possible these days to have a serious case of Spain envy.

* Jelena Jankovic, Serbia (3), d. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark (30), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 -- “Seventeen?” Jankovic said of Wozniacki. “She’s very young. I didn’t know she was that young.” But the old lady, 23, pulled through.

Who won

* Andy Murray, Britain (11), d. Tommy Haas, Germany (38), 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 -- Can he? Oh, probably not, but it’ll be loud.

Who lost

* Dinara Safina, Russia (9), lost to Shahar Peer, Israel (26), 7-5, 6-7 (4), 8-6 -- By the last game of a three-hour, 25-minute match against Peer’s unsteady nerve, the French Open finalist Safina was visibly in pain, crying and making dinky serves, the last of which fluttered long for a closing double fault. Jeez.

What’s next

Silence (1), Sunday, off. But on Monday . . .

* Serena Williams, United States (6), vs. Bethanie Mattek, United States (69) -- They should suspend the all-white-clothing rule just for this match, given the flair capacity of both, with Mattek’s outfits the more raucous. “Her personality is so good,” Williams said, “and the courage you have to wear something like that -- in fashion -- goes a long way for me.”

* Venus Williams, United States (7), vs. Alisa Kleybanova, Russia (42) -- It’s Williams’ ninth fourth round here. They grow up so fast.

* Roger Federer, Switzerland (1), vs. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia (27) -- The last two Wimbledon champions play each other. It’s the guy who won it the last five times against the guy who won it the time before that while grateful that the guy who’d win it five times hadn’t arrived just yet.

* Marat Safin, Russia (75), vs. Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland (9) -- It’s a resurgent genius against the upwardly mobile. It’s a bonanza for tennis scholars.

-- Chuck Culpepper