( CNN ) -- Being top of the tennis tree can make grand slam predictions a little predictable , especially if your name is Serena Williams . The world No . 1 breezed into the third round of Wimbledon Thursday with a 6-1 6-1 victory over South African Chanelle Scheepers . The demolition lasted just 49 minutes and was more than enough to confirm Williams ' status as favorite for a sixth Wimbledon crown . `` I 'm always the favorite , '' the American told reporters at the All England Club . `` It 's been that way for the last three years and maybe years before that . So it can create pressure . But it 's OK -- I 'd rather it was that way . '' Being the favorite , and defending champion , did not help Williams at last month 's French Open , where she crashed out in the second round . The 32-year-old is now taking a softly-softly approach to the British grass court tournament , as she aims to finally claim her 18th grand slam to tie with legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova . She next faces French 25th seed Alize Cornet , who won their last meeting on hard courts in Dubai this year but lost their first three encounters . `` I do n't want to feel great necessarily right now because hopefully I have several more matches I can play , '' said Williams . `` The goal for me is just to feel a little better every day . I feel there 's some things I still want to work on to hopefully stay in the tournament . '' It was a case of once bitten twice shy for men 's second seed Rafael Nadal on Centre Court . Spain 's world No . 1 lost the first set to Czech Lukas Rosol , who dumped him out of the tournament in 2012 , and found himself heading for a repeat at 2-4 down in the second . But the 2008 and 2010 Wimbledon champion regained his composure and pulled himself back into the match . He roared with delight as he sealed a 4-6 7-6 6-4 6-4 victory to reach the third round for the first time since 2011 , setting up a clash with Kazakhstan 's 63rd-ranked Mikhail Kukushkin . `` I was just trying to fight , '' said nine-time French Open winner Nadal . `` I was waiting for my moment , trying to find my moment . `` He was serving very well -- that always happens on the grass . That second set was very important for me . To be two sets down against a player like Rosol is very dangerous . '' Roger Federer cantered into the third round after his match with Gilles Muller was interrupted to close the roof on Centre Court as a late evening shower washed London . When the players returned under lights , Federer did n't waste any time . The seven-time Wimbledon champion wrapped up a 6-3 7-5 6-3 victory over the Luxembourg qualifier . The Swiss star will meet either Spain 's Marcel Granollers or Colombian Santiago Giraldo next . Federer was satisfied to advance after last season 's shock second-round defeat to Ukraine 's Sergiy Stakhovsky , who is also into the third round . `` It was really a serving contest out there , I 'm happy I made it , '' Federer , the fourth seed , told the media . `` The second set was tough today with the rain delay . It 's nice to get those wins but better keep working hard and try to be consistent . '' Maria Sharapova made short work of Swiss challenger Timea Bacsinszky on Thursday evening , sweeping into the third round with a 6-2 6-1 victory . The Russian fifth seed won her first grand slam of the grass of Wimbledon in 2004 as a 17-year-old and returns to London in ominous form as the French Open champion . Sharapova faces American Alison Riske , who defeated Italian Camila Giorgi , in the third round . Elsewhere , in the men 's draw , French seeds Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faced five-set zingers on day four at the All England Club . Promising Australia Nick Kyrgios sent 13th seed Gasquet packing 3-6 6-7 6-4 7-5 10-8 while Tsonga , the No . 14 , defeated American Sam Querrey with another epic scoreline 4-6 7-6 6-7 6-3 14-12 . The 19-year-old Krygios , who turned professional only last season , is playing in his first Wimbledon and faces Czech Jiri Vesely next . Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka dropped a set against Taiwan 's Yen-Hsun Lu on his way to a third round encounter against Uzbekistan 's Denis Istomin . Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic also defeated young American Jack Sock 6-3 6-4 6-4 and will next face Poland 's Lukasz Kubot . Last year 's women 's runner-up , Sabine Lisicki , stayed on track with a straightforward 6-3 7-5 victory over Czech Karolina Pliskova , and the German will next play former world No . 1 Ana Ivanovic . The Serbian 11th seed beat China 's Zheng Jie 6-4 6-0 .
Serena Williams underlines title status with quickfire win over Chanelle Scheepers . `` I 'm always the favorite , '' says American world No . 1 , who is seeking sixth Wimbledon win . Men 's No . 1 Rafael Nadal fights back to avoid repeat shock loss to Lukas Rosol . Former champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova breeze through .