But Canada's women - coxed by 54-year-old Lesley Thompson-Willie - served notice of their intent to challenge the world and Olympic champions as they won the second heat in an identical time and also finished more than six seconds clear of their nearest challengers, Russia.

Thus the top two crews earned direct places in Sunday's (August 31) final, which promises to be a serious battle.

The women's eight heats, and the men's quadruple sculls repechage, in which France and Switzerland were victorious, had been carried over from the previous day because of the onset of adverse wind conditions, but they took place in sunshine and relative calm on the waters of the Bosbaan Lake.

Defending champion Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic was the fastest of the day in the men's single sculls as he won the last of four quarter-finals in 7:06.83 after moving past the man he beat to gold last year, Angel Fournier Rodriguez of Cuba.

New Zealand's Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand won his quarter in 7:09.68 after overtaking Lithuania's Mindauguas Griskonis in the second half of the race before easing down.

New Zealand's Olympic single sculls champion Mahe Drysdale progressed with a smooth win today at the World Rowing Championships ©Getty Images

Marcel Hacker of Germany, in 7:12.06, overcame local hero Roel Braas, whose face adorns many of the banners advertising this event around the Dutch capital.

The first quarter-final was won by Azerbaijan's Aleksandar Aleksandrov in 7:15.82.

Emma Twigg, aiming for her first world gold at her seventh attempt in the women's single sculls, was fastest qualifier from today's quarter-finals in 7:48.84, set in the first race.

Austria's Magdalena Lobnig was second fastest, winning in 7:56.95, with Australia's defending champion Kim Crow victorious in the fourth and final quarter in 7:57.07.

Russia's 41-year-old Julia Levina won the third quarter-final in 8:00.54.

The Czech Republic's Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova took the third automatic qualifying spot in Twigg's heat behind Jingli Duan of China.

Emma Twigg of New Zealand produced the fastest time of the day in the women's single sculls quarter-finals at the World Rowing Championships ©Getty Images

Stany Delayre and Jeremie Azou of France, who had set a world best time of 6:08.64 in the lightweight men's double sculls heats, were pushed throughout the first half of their opening quarter-final by the Danish pairing of Henrik Stephansen and Jens Nielsen, but pulled clear to win, with the United States taking the third qualifying place from China by just 0.13.

Simon Schuerch and Mario Gyr of Switzerland held off Britain in the second quarter-final, clocking the fastest time of the day, 6:33.66.

Italy's Andrea Micheletti and Pietro Ruta held off Norway's defending champions, Kristoffer Brun and Are Strandli, to win the third quarter-final, while the fourth went to Germany's Moose Moritz and Jason Osborne.

Andrew Campbell, the double world under-23 champion in the lightweight men's single sculls, dominated his quarter-final but capsized after hitting a marker buoy just before the 500-metre mark.

The American clambered back into his boat and finished, but last place will take him through only to the C/D semi-final.

With the top three boats in each quarter-final earning spots in the semi-finals, Italian Marcello Miani earned bragging rights over the European champion, Pedro Fraga of Portugal, as he won the opening race.

Campbell's demise allowed China's Jingbin Zhao to claim victory with Britain's Zak Lee-Green chasing him home.

Lars Hartig of Germany held off Paul O'Donovan of Ireland to with the third quarter-final, while the last race went to Michael Schmid of Switzerland.

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