Mauresmo ready for tougher challenge

Number three seed Amelie Mauresmo will meet Anastasia Myskina on Centre Court this afternoon as she bids to reach the semi-finals for the second year in a row.

The Frenchwoman yesterday recovered from a slow start to beat Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-4 6-0 on Court One.

She has not yet dropped a set en-route to the last eight, but admitted: “It is tough matches now anyway, against opponents that obviously feel pretty comfortable on the surface so far. That’s fine with me. I like to keep going.”

Myskina, French Open champion in 2004, had never been past the fourth round here, and had looked less than impressive on the grass as she edged through her previous encounters, needing three sets in each and taking the decider 10-8 against Jelena Jankovic last time out.

It went to the wire again yesterday, sixth seed Elena Dementieva – also from Russia and whom Myskina beat in Roland Garros – crushing through the first set in just 22 minutes before the 23-year-old former world number one battled back to win 1-6 7-6 7-5, saving two match points against her along the way.

Defending champion Maria Sharapova, meanwhile, continued her progress in the bottom half of the draw as the number two seed beat Nathalie Dechy 6-4 6-2 to set-up a quarter-final clash against Nadia Petrova, the eighth seed, which will be the first match up on Court One.