TENNIS WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS: WHILE THE world is watching Venus and Serena Williams imperiously fist-pump their way towards next Saturday's final, there is an interesting duel today on Centre Court, sandwiched between two men's games.

Dinara Safina, the Grand Slam-free, world number one meets Amelie Mauresmo, the winner here in 2006. Since that win Mauresmo has not gotten past the fourth round.

The French player’s matches often encourage terrible bouts of self-doubt and anxiety, while Safina is struggling to wear the clothes of the number one. Her critics have been loudly and consistently shouting that the WTA computer should not reward consistency and point-building but excellence and success. Being the runner-up in the last two Grand Slams is fodder for calling her a nearly woman. Safina wants that to end.

But for the connoisseurs of the game this is a chance to see the scalpel meet the cleaver. Safina, who won’t have much time for her opponent’s psychological fragility, will play a relentless back-court game against Mauresmo’s slice, volley and cut in a certain clash of styles.

The Frenchwoman’s problem might be getting to the ball to work her magic. But she’ll have a plan, probably to make Safina move as much as possible and try to prevent the Russian’s brawny game from getting into a groove.

Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, however, will draw the crowds.

Sweet Ivanovic, who arrived with golfer Adam Scott in toe, and mild-mannered Venus, ought to bring up the decibel level on Court One.

The Serb is fighting to be known more as a player than a pin-up. But since she won at Roland Garros last year and became the world number one, she has not gotten past the fourth round of a major and her ranking has fallen out of the top 10.

There are a lot of young boys and middle-aged men who won’t forgive Venus for what she is about to do to Ivanovic’s one-dimensional game. Williams can do what her opponent does but louder, bigger and more consistently. Keeping the ball from the Ivanovic forehand and making her move has seemed to work in the past.

While Venus headlines Court One, her sister, Serena, slums it on show Court Two, this year’s new stadium court, which holds around 4,000 to Centre Court’s 15,000.

Her next potential victim is Daniela Hantuchova, a slight player, who last week was hoarse with the flu. While few trust the weights listed in the women’s handbook this fourth round meeting is 137lbs of Czech sinew against 150lbs of American muscle.

Occasionally Williams doesn’t have a miserly approach to points, which allows matches like these to go to three sets.

But Hantuchova is 30 places behind Williams in the rankings and if her flu is as bad as her voice suggested last week and Williams holds her accuracy, this could be an efficient culling.

In the mould of hard hitters off the ground, Caroline Wozniacki, the ninth seed, and sixth-seeded Victoria Azarenka have hung around for week two. That’s good news for the tour.

Wozniacki, who won at Eastbourne, has brought form with her to London and moved into this week after a ruthless 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues.

The 18-year-old Danish player looks very much at home on grass and now faces the unseeded, Sabine Lisicki, conquerer of the French open champion and fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

A win for Wozniacki would earn her a meeting with Safina or Mauresmo, while Azarenko must see off Russian Nadia Petrova for a quarter-final match with Hantuchova or Williams.