Roger Federer reached a record-extending 17th Wimbledon quarter-final with a comprehensive 6-1 6-2 6-2 win over Italian Matteo Berrettini.
In truth, a match that on paper looked as if it might provide his first big test of the tournament as he chases a ninth title was a no-contest as his 23-year-old Italian opponent self-destructed on Centre Court.
From the moment Federer broke in the fourth game with a silky smooth smash, any tactical plan a dazed Berrettini took on court with him unravelled in spectacular fashion.
After losing the first two sets, Berrettini disappeared off-court - presumably to try and locate a panic room somewhere in the All England Club.
When he returned Berrettini found even more unusual ways to gift points to eight-time champion Federer, notably when he dribbled a dreadful attempt at a drop-volley into the net with Federer out of position behind the baseline.
Even the 37-year-old Swiss, anxious to save energy and get off court quickly as dark clouds gathered, looked aghast, shaking his head at the ineptitude of his opponent's error.
It was a shame for Berrettini, who was hoping to become only the fifth Italian to reach the quarter-finals here, as he is clearly a much better player than this performance suggested.
There was sympathetic applause from the crowd when he did connect properly, but Federer was having none of it as a sweet volley put Berrettini out of his misery in one hour 14 minutes.
Second seed Federer will face eighth-seeded Japanese Kei Nishikori for a place in the semi-finals.
Earlier, Novak Djokovic has remained firmly in cruise control as he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals by swatting aside France's Ugo Humbert.
Djokovic, capable of jaw-dropping feats of agility when pushed to the brink, has barely stretched a sinew in reaching the last eight and the 21-year-old Humbert proved incapable of applying any real pressure in a 6-3 6-2 6-3 defeat.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal has again showcased his credentials for the Wimbledon title by breezing past Joao Sousa and into the quarter-finals.
The Spaniard has not won the trophy since 2010 but is looking every inch the contender this time around, dispatching the Portuguese 6-2 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court on Monday.
Reuters
