Mauresmo completes Italian job

Fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo was given a stern test before securing a straight-sets victory in her fourth-round clash with Silvia Farina Elia.

Mauresmo, yet to drop a set at this year’s championships, recorded a 7-5 6-3 victory against the Italian veteran on court two.

But the Frenchwoman needed an hour and 27 minutes to overcome the dogged 14th seed and reach her third successive Grand Slam quarter-final this year.

Mauresmo, who has never lost in her four previous meetings with the 32-year-old Italian, served up three aces in taking the first game, but then wasted seven chances to break in the opening set.

The world number four finally made the breakthrough in the final game when Farina Elia’s forehand dropped agonisingly the wrong side of the net cord.

Mauresmo was struggling to get on top of her resilient opponent and needed a third break point at the start of the second set to finally take a stranglehold on the match at 2-0 up.

Both players held serve comfortably to leave Mauresmo to serve out the match at 5-3.

She produced a heavy serve to produce three match points but still needed two of those to take the tie with a heavily-sliced backhand which wrong-footed Farina Elia.

Mauresmo will now play ninth seed Paola Suarez of Argentina for a place in the semi-finals.