1657: Simple enough workout for Venus in the end, and she waves a happy salute to the crowd as she heads back to the locker room.

Makarova 0-6 4-6 Venus
Has this riled the great champ? Maka, if not quite a woman transformed, is a different creature to the first set. She races to 40-15 - no no, backhand into the net. Wonderful from Venus, relentless on the chase, hammering forehand drives - deuce. Supreme grass court tennis from Williams, volleying her way to match point - hmm, second serve return clunked out. And now a double-fault - nerves affecting both players. First serve long, second short - Venus in control, Maka long - out!

* Makarova 0-6 4-5 Venus
This wasn't in the script - super pass down the line from Maka for 0-30. Big serve, smashing backhand back the other way - 15-30. Two sizzling backhand drives - 30-30. Forehand long - break point. Taken, with splendid brio! In other news, England win 1-0 and qualify in second. Cheers around Centre from a few well-connected punters.

Makarova 0-6 3-5 Venus *
Forehand thrasher into the net from Venus. Plenty of time. That's a better serve from Maka - 30-15. Long from Venus for 40-15; lovely forehand down the line for the game. Warm applause.

* Makarova 0-6 2-5 Venus
Sympathetic silence around Centre as Maka is floored by successive volleyed smashes. Venus on the brink.

Makarova 0-6 2-4 Venus *
Maka being outmuscled again, and when Venus races in to dip away a backhand winner for 0-30, the alarm bells sound. Brutal power takes the five-time champion to break point - saved thanks to an uncharacteristic VW error. Lame forehand dropper from Maka into the net (groans from the crowd) and when an attempted backhand winner down the line skims wide, the break is gone.

* Makarova 0-6 2-3 Venus
Big serving out wide, and Maka can only bunt long. Venus trots in behind another brutal one and slams away the mid-court sitter.

Makarova 0-6 2-2 Venus *
Squeaks from Venus as two backhands sail long. Another cross court drifts into the tramlines, and Maka has her second game. A third full now on Centre.

* Makarova 0-6 1-2 Venus
Ace out wide; a brace of thumping volleyed winners. Venus enjoying herself. Over in Port Elizabeth, Wayne Rooney has hit the post. Still 1-0 England with 20 minutes to go.

Makarova 0-6 1-1 Venus *
Maka, her cheeks as rosy as Sir Matthew Pinsent's, draws the biggest cheer of the match so far as she finally gets on the board. It takes her seven minutes, but the returning punters give generous applause.

* Makarova 0-6 0-1 Venus
Harsh lesson this for Maka. At 40-0 on the Venus serve you could forgive her for falling to the turf and sobbing; a Venus double fault gives the illusion of hope, before a brutal mid-court forehand clears the miasma.

Makarova 0-6 Venus
Makarova's mother Olga watching on - the Maka mama travels everywhere with her daughter while papa Valery guards the fort at home. Trouble for the underdog again, canting a break and set point down - ooh, forehand wide into the tramlines from Venus with the court on its knees. Not this time though - that's long and ugly, and Venus is on cruise control.

* Makarova 0-5 Venus
Venus has only failed to make the third round of Wimbledon on two occasions in the 13 years since her debut, and it'll take an absolute stinker for that record to be sullied. Maka needing to hold serve to keep even a nostril above water.

Makarova 0-4 Venus *
Better from the 22-year-old Russian, eyes shaded by a white golf visor, getting that leftie forehand working for 30-15. No, too much angle from Venus, she'll have a break point. Saved with a decent serve out wide, tossed away again with a forehand slapped long. She seems in control of the point, but Venus is reaching everything - gradually she takes control herself, and when Maka thunks it into the net, the second break has gone.

* Makarova 0-3 Venus
Venus wearing her Tina Turner-inspired dress again, although you might not spot the reference without prior warning. To be fair there are tassles there, very much a River Deep, Mountain High period rather than Private Dancer. No prior meetings between these two, but Makarova has never before made it through to the third round at SW19.

Makarova 0-2 Venus *
Makarova comes here off the back of winning Eastbourne, but Venus doesn't give darn 'tootin' hoot - raking forehands, that sweet combo of power and grace, two break points, first one taken. Ominous.

* Makarova 0-1 Venus
Maybe a fifth full on Centre, although that's as much to do with leg-stretching and bladder-relieving as anything not being shown on the any screen anywhere at Wimbledon. Simple hold to love from Venus, who's won more grass-court titles than any other active player.

* denotes next server

1540: Second seed Venus Williams up next on Centre Court against Ekaterina Makarova. Will be interesting to see how many spectators stay on to watch it - or drift away for a while for other reasons....