Fuente : Wimbledon
http://www.wimbledon.org

WIMBLEDON: Mauresmo Stays on Course

/noticias.info/ Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Amelie Mauresmo was smiling today. The third seed brushed aside Spain's Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 6-1, 6-3 in just 46 minutes of almost peerless grass court tennis to reach the third round of Wimbledon.

Mauresmo has often been described as the lady-in-waiting for the title. She has all the attributes needed to win Wimbledon and twice got close to succeeding. She reached the semi-finals in 2002 and again last year but on both occasions failed to get further.

It has been frustration on all Grand Slam fronts for the likeable French No.1. She might have roared to world No.3 this year but she is still without any of the four titles that mean so much to the professional tennis players on the women's circuit.

Her form is unpredictable, as her surprising opening round defeat against qualifier Vera Douchevina from Russia at Eastbourne last week proved. This followed a roller-coaster few months in which she enjoyed a respectable run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before a disappointing loss in the third round of the French Open against promising Serbian 17-year-old Ana Ivanovic. But today we saw what Mauresmo is capable of, with a display that would have graced Centre Court.

The defeat of Justine Henin-Hardenne has removed one of the favourites for the women's title and given new heart to the other Championship contenders. That was certainly clear from Mauresmo's demeanour on No.2 Court against Sanchez Lorenzo. She played with a freshness and confidence that should be a warning to anyone who believes they can stop her.

Mauresmo's suspect temperament was absent and the 25-year-old was in her element. Poor Sanchez Lorenzo must have wondered what she had done to deserve such a draw. The Spaniard, her hair swishing in a pony tail, let rip with a few solid ground strokes but Mauresmo used all her craft on grass to demolish a worthy opponent. Sanchez Lorenzo even had a first serve returned with a winning drop shot by Mauresmo in the third game of the opening set.

Mauresmo was simply irresistible, charging the net at every available opportunity to overpower an opponent ranked 113 in the world.

If Mauresmo can maintain this form, it could carry her to the most coveted ladies' tennis title. That, perhaps, would give her enough of a lift to also start collecting the French, Australian and US Open championships to realise her enormous potential.

Written by Mike Donovan


Court 2 - Ladies' Singles - 2nd Round
Amelie Mauresmo FRA (3) 6 6
Maria Sanchez Lorenzo ESP 1 3 notas_de_prensa_archivo