Tamarine Tanasugarn became the first Thai plaer to reach a grand slam quarter-final [AFP]

The women's draw has now lost the top three seeds after early exits for Ana Ivanovic, world number one, and former champion Maria Sharapova, the number two seed.

It is the first time since full seedings were introduced in 1927 that the top three women's seeds failed to reach the last eight, according to Wimbledon statistics.

Tamarine, who will now face defending champion Venus Williams in the last eight, screeched with delight and sank to her knees after Jankovic hit a forehand long on the first of three match points.

The unseeded Thai, who turned 31 in May and is the oldest woman left in the draw, took full advantage of another erratic display from Jankovic, who appeared to be moving freely despite suffering a knee injury in struggling to overcome third round opponent Caroline Wozniacki on Saturday.

A break in the sixth game was enough for Tamarine to go on and clinch the opening set, and at 2-1 to the Thai in the second both players called for treatment.

Jankovic received attention to her troublesome left knee while Tamarine lay face down on court as a trainer probed an apparent back problem.

The injury timeouts made little difference to the course of the match and a dejected Jankovic had no answer to the scuttling Thai's consistency from the baseline.

Defeat leaves Jankovic, 23, still waiting to make her grand slam breakthrough.

The Serb, who won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon last year, has not gone beyond the fourth round in singles at the All England Club, and has yet to reach the singles final of a grand slam.

Venus rises

Meanwhile Venus Williams, seventh seed and four-time champion, swept into the quarter-finals with an impressive display against Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova to win 6-3, 6-4 on Court Two.

Williams, who is on course for a possible meeting with sister Serena in the final, was razor-sharp from the beginning against the 18-year-old Kleybanova, who was broken in the eighth game when she double-faulted three times.

The youngest player left in the tournament battled hard against the vastly more experienced Williams, 28, whose game has improved from match to match.

In the second set Kleybanova survived two match points at 5-2, broke Williams's serve, held her own to love, then finally succumbed 6-4 to the defending champion.

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