Serena Williams in action against Stephanie Foretz of France at Wimbledon on Friday. The American won 6-0, 6-4. (AFP)

London: A dewy-eyed Goran Ivanisevic waved goodbye to tennis while Serena Williams and Tim Henman soothed wounded pride at Wimbledon on Friday.

Men’s third seed Guillermo Coria and women’s second seed Anastasia Myskina also exited on a day when the umpire who made a scoring mistake in Venus Williams’ shock defeat on Thursday was shown the door by organisers.

Ivanisevic bade farewell to his beloved Centre Court and headed for retirement after a 2-6, 3-6, 4-6 third round defeat by Australian seventh seed Lleyton Hewitt. The 32-year-old Croatian, whose emotional triumph over another Australian Pat Rafter in the 2001 final earned him a permanent place in Wimbledon folklore, was outplayed but enjoyed every minute in his final tournament before quitting the game.

Women’s defending champion Serena ensured she did not follow older sister Venus out of the tournament by beating French qualifier Stephanie Foretz 6-0, 6-4 in the second round.

Third seed Venus was upset 6-7, 6-7 by Croatian Karolina Sprem (as reported in Friday’s Late City edition) and organisers said they had agreed with umpire Ted Watt, who made a scoring error in the second set tie-break of that game, that he should take no further part.

Serena gave a ruthless display to set up a third round match against Magui Serna of Spain. “I consider myself a favourite to just go out there and do the best I can, and that’s how I have to look at it.”

Serena sailed through the first set in 22 minutes, ripping a backhand down-the-line winner on set point. When Foretz won her first game, holding serve for 1-1 in the second set, she got a big ovation.

That seemed to lift the Frenchwoman, who broke in the next game and held for 3-1. Foretz had three chances to break for 4-1, but Serena saved all three to make it 3-2. Foretz lost one of those break points when Serena’s forehand took a bad hop and skipped under her racket.

From 2-4 down, Serena won four straight games to close out the match in 64 minutes. “I just kind of slacked off a little bit in the second set,” said Serena, who committed 23 unforced errors. “There are still some things I want to try to work on.”

The English were nursing sore heads after the national team’s painful Euro 2004 exit against Portugal on Thursday.

Henman, after a sluggish start, provided the lift the home nation needed on Centre Court, although he admitted the football setback had been a distraction for him too.

Swiss qualifier Ivo Heuberger led 5-3 in the first set before Henman clicked into gear and raced away to a 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 victory under sporadic sunshine.

“I didn’t sleep particularly well. I was very much aware of our disappointment,” said the 29-year-old who is bidding to end Britain’s 68-year wait for a men’s champion.

Henman is still on course for a fourth round showdown with last year’s runner-up, Australian Mark Philippoussis. The 11th seed lost the first set against Dutchman Martin Verkerk but recovered to win 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-5.

Men’s second seed Andy Roddick set up a high-octane clash with compatriot Taylor Dent in the third round when he flayed Austria’s Alexander Peya 6-3, 7-6, 6-4. The US Open champion fired 13 aces at speeds of up to 144 miles per hour (231.7 kph) in an accomplished display, although he is likely to face a dose of his own medicine against the heavy-serving Dent.

Third seed Coria was sent packing by German debutant Florian Mayer. The French Open runner-up lost 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 4-6 in a second round surprise.

The defeat of women’s French Open champion Myskina was more predictable. The Russian had complained of exhaustion after her three-set second round victory late on Thursday and having had little time to rest she succumbed 6-4, 4-6, 4-6 to American Amy Frazier.

The other leading women’s seeds were untroubled, with Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, American Jennifer Capriati, Argentine Paola Suarez and Russians Nadia Petrova and Vera Zvonareva all advancing.