Venus and Ostapenko are out - I'm looking forward to this one, it should be the game of the day. Ostapenko goes for everything and though she's the French champion, that aspect of her game, along with her power, makes her perfectly suited for grass.

Williams 6-3 7-5 Ostapenko

In seconds, Venus races to three match-points, bangs in another serve, and Ostapenko goes wide with the backhand. Williams eases through to the semis, where she'll play Konta or Halep; she'll fancy her chances against either.

And today, she just knew and had too much for Ostapenko, upping the power to assert her primacy in the first set, winning points whenever she really needed to in the second, and generally exuding presence. Ostapenko will be a far sterner proposition next year, but more pertinently, VENUS WILLIAMS IS AMAZING!

Williams 6-3 6-5 Ostapenko

Careless from Ostapenko; you can't take games off against Venus Williams but she does and she pays. Three b alls into the net, and Venus will serve for the match presently.

Williams 6-3 5-5 Ostapenko

Venus finds herself 15-30 behind, so rattles an ace down the T; next point, Ostapenkjo is just wide with a return, before an overhit forehand cedes the game. That's three first serves in a row right when they were required.

Williams 6-3 4-5 Ostapenko

Ostapenko double-faults at 40-15, but refuses to acknowledge pressure, hammering a serve into the body that Venus can't return. Can she force the break that would win her the set? Not if Venus serves well is the answer.

Williams 6-3 4-4 Ostapenko

Great service game from Williams, diffusing Ostapenko's momentum with a major display of power.

Williams 6-3 3-4 Ostapenko

Almost reluctantly, Ostapenko plays a gorgeous drop-shot at the net - she doesn't really want to be there, but is the better player now, on a hot streak. So a forehand winner follows, then an ace to seal the game; can she press home the advantage?

Williams 6-3 3-3 Ostapenko

At 15-all, Ostapenko manages to send Venus skittering along the baseline, a big forehand giving her the advantage and a netted backhand raising two break-back points And she only needs one! Venus double-faults, and suddenly we've got ourselves a ball-game!

Williams 6-3 3-2 Ostapenko

One-way traffic on centre; I wonder if the roof being shut if helping Venus, speeding up the court for her. She consolidates her break, before Ostapenko plays one of her better service games; she'll always hit winners, but can she hang in there to force errors?

Williams 6-3 2-1 Ostapenko

I wondered if Ostapeno would take succour from that last game, but actually it's Venus onto the attack, rushing to 0-40. Ostapenko needs to develop more spin on her groundstrokes, reckons Martina, and she's broken to love. This match is not long for this world.

Williams 6-3 1-1 Ostapenko

So how will Ostapenko change things? She tries a forehand slice and it gets her a point at 30-0. Then good depth on a forehand sees Williams net, and this is a chance by the standards of the match ... which Ostapenko takes with a wrongfooting forehand. Venus, though smashes down a second serve, a risk which pays off, allowing her to dominate the point; she wins the next two, hitting the ball like it dissed her mum's cooking, and we're level in the second.

Williams 6-3 0-1 Ostapenko

Aha! Ostapenko's forehand comes to the party! Or something. At 40-15, Williams forces her out wide, and she drills a monstrous effort down the line to take the game. Apparently, her average shot-speed in Paris was higher than Andy Murray's!

Williams 6-3 Ostapenko

At 0-15, Ostapenko can't benefit from an excellent return by hitting another forehand into the net; her margin of error on those shots is so low, even if Venus played a very good shot to get the ball back into play. Quickly, it's 40-15, but then Ostapenko plays a great backhand only to cede the set when the ball catches the line and she misses it entirely. That was very good from Venus, her serve and return especially dominant. Ostapenko needs to find something.

Williams 5-3 Ostapenko

Williams holds easily; realistically, Ostapenko is playing herself into form for a proper shy at things in the second set. at 40-0, it looks like Venus will have to serve for it but then two errors and a punished second serve give us deuce; Ostapenko has only won four out of 12 points on her second serve. But it's quickly five out of 13, and the game is clinched with a fine forehand approach into the corner backed-up with a backhand winner.

Williams 4-2 Ostapenko

Ostapenko is findigetting her legs under her now but will know every time she drops short, the ball comes whizzing past her; Venus is returning six miles an hour faster than in the previous rounds and it shows. Still a comfy enough hold.

Williams 4-1 Ostapenko

At 40-0, Venus double-faults, and then goes long with a forehand; suddenly, a bit of pressure, immediately alleviated with an ace down the middle. Great stuff.

Williams 3-1 Ostapenko

Good from Ostapenko, pounding her way to 30-0 and then laying a lovely drop-shot ... only for Venus to respond next point. 40-15, and 40-30 when a serve out wide is returned with interest. Ostapenko is out of her depth here, for now at least. But she fights her way onto the board, hanging on when a weak second serve is punished, and securing the game with a banging forehand down the line.