Wimbledon: More work to do for champ Amelie

Jul 1 2007 By The Sunday Sun

Amelie Mauresmo beat the rain and continued on an untroubled course into the last 16 of the Wimbledon Championship with a 57-minute win over Mara Santangelo.

But the reigning champion (right) admitted there was much more work to do before she could even think of retaining her title.

The French star and 2006 winner dropped only her 10th game in three rounds against the Italian No 28 seed, whom she beat in straight sets in the International Open tournament at Eastbourne last week.

Now she looks inexorably set for a Wimbledon semi-final meeting with Maria Sharapova but knows she will need to test herself against stronger opposition before then.

After a 6-1 6-2 stroll, she said: "The (women's) tournament is very open and has been for a few years now - not only here but in other countries.

"There are many good players around and I like to think I must improve a few things here and there but overall I played some really going-forward kind of tennis and that is what has been working well for me.

"I expect to have to do some more fighting in the next few rounds but I'm fine with that because most of my game is in good shape now. I'm about an eight out of 10 at the moment - but then again I'm a perfectionist."

Having put out lowly-ranked Jamea Jackson and Yvonne Meusburger, Mauresmo, 27, was again allowed to get away with more than a few loose strokes against Santangelo, whose game gradually unravelled in the face of her rival's thumping serve and all-court athleticism.

Mauresmo struggled to get warm at the start when a careless double fault put her under early pressure, but Santangelo could not raise the quality of resistance to cash in on occasional lapses by the champion.

Although a recent thigh injury did not seem to bother her, Mauresmo occasionally lost her focus and after cruising through the first set in 25 minutes, briefly let her rival back into contention when dropping serve for 1-1.

She broke straight back and then immediately saved her serve and a two-game cushion, at 0-30 down with a 108mph ace, before Santangelo helped her out with a dismal double fault to go 2-5 down.

Mauresmo hit back to save two break points on her final serve but the end of the match was typical of an only occasionally distinguished contest.

She landed two further aces either side of a double fault - before another ace made 11 in all and clinched victory.