Granville reached the fourth round as a qualifier last year but today she looked to be overawed by the occasion as she double faulted twice to lose her opening service game.

The world number 30 could muster just two points from Williams’ first three service games but, as she began to settle, she was able to pose some real problems for the champion.

Granville won the first rally of the match to halt a run of six Williams points and drew the biggest cheer from the crowd with a glorious cross-court passing shot to stun her illustrious opponent.

However, Williams maintained her advantage and came up with two aces when her serve was threatened for the only time in the seventh game.

The 22-year-old Granville’s only hope of springing the biggest shock of the tournament was to draw her opponent into prolonged rallies but Williams was in no mood to hang around.

Granville lost her serve at the start of the second set and the champion consolidated the break with a love game.

The only moment of concern for the hot favourite came in the fifth game when she slipped on the threadbare baseline but she was quickly up and moving freely once more and wrapped up the second set 6-1.