Federer hit consecutive double-faults to fall behind 5-3 in the fourth set, and in the next game Kiefer was twice two points from forcing a fifth set.

But Kiefer double-faulted to lose serve, then lost serve again to fall behind 6-5. Federer hit three aces and a feathery backhand winner in the next game to close the victory.

On a damp, chilly afternoon, top-ranked Lindsay Davenport routed Russian Dinara Safina 6-2, 6-1. Davenport has lost only eight games in three matches.

Two-time champion Venus Williams, seeded 14th, beat No. 20 Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-3. Williams has lost only one set in seven matches against Hantuchova.

Defending champion Maria Sharapova and No. 8 Nadia Petrova advanced, giving Russia six women in the final 16.

Sharapova sent Katarina Srebotnik sprawling to the grass in vain pursuit of a shot, then hit a forehand winner on the next point to close out a 6-2, 6-4 victory. No. 8-seeded Petrova beat wild card Cara Black 6-4, 6-3.

Sharapova, seeded second, has lost just 11 games so far, but her play was more erratic than in the first two rounds. She shanked an overhead, blew an easy volley and finished with 21 unforced errors, including 14 in the first six games.

Still, Sharapova advanced to the fourth round for the third time in as many career appearances at the All England Club. She hit 21 winners, broke serve four times and lost serve just once.

Conchita Martinez's 14th consecutive Wimbledon ended when she lost to Kveta Peschke 6-4, 6-1. Martinez, 33, won the 1994 title.

French Open runner-up Mary Pierce, seeded 12th, defeated No. 19 Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4.

No. 23 Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, reached the fourth round to equal his best showing at Wimbledon. He rallied and eliminated 2004 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Florian Mayer 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1. Ferrero will play Federer next.

In the completion of a match suspended Friday because of rain, No. 31-seeded Mikhail Youzhny celebrated his 23rd birthday by beating Jonas Bjorkman 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6. Youzhny will next play No. 21 Fernando Gonzalez.

Russian Anastasia Myskina thinks a harrowing week of tennis at Wimbledon will be good therapy for her ailing mother back home in Moscow.

Myskina won her third wrenching match in a row Friday. She failed to convert two match points in the second set, fell behind 5-1 in the third, squandered 24 of 33 breakpoint chances and still advanced.

Seeded ninth despite a prolonged slump, Myskina beat Jelena Jankovic 6-0, 5-7, 10-8. Watching at home was her mother, who is battling a serious illness.

Last month, Myskina became the first defending champion at the French Open to be eliminated in the opening round. And she has flirted with defeat in each of her matches this week.

She won in the opening round despite losing serve nine times. In the next round, she failed to convert 12 set points in the first set, yet won again.

The big Dutchman, armed with one of the most dominating serves in tennis, upset Pete Sampras at Wimbledon nine years ago and then beat MaliVai Washington in the final. On Friday, Dementieva defeated Washington's sister, Mashona, 7-5, 6-1.