Maria Sharapova’s hopes of winning her second Wimbledon title have been snuffed out by Venus Williams in the fourth round at the All England Club.

Three-times champion Williams, who has been seeded 23rd, beat Sharapova 6-1 6-3 in their rain-affected clash. She will now take on Svetlana Kuznetsova for a place in the semi-finals of the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament.

Sharapova looked out of sorts, committing a number of unforced errors, as Williams produced a brilliant display. The American quite simply overpowered and outplayed the second seed, serving superbly as well as hitting thunderous groundstrokes.