Sportmaster International

London - Maria Sharapova and holder Amelie Mauresmo beat the weather as they squeezed in rapid-fire victories to reach the second week of the soggy Wimbledon Championships in Saturday. Sharapova, the second seed who won the 2004 title as a teenager, defeated Japan’s Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-3, what match winding up just as others were interrupted by the return of rain. Mauresmo waited out a four-hour rain delay which delayed the day’s start until mid-afternoon, then ripped Italian Mara Santangelo 6-1, 6-2 The French fourth seed was untroubled in 58

minutes by the world number 29 who owns the French Open doubles title with teammate Alicia Molik. Mauresmo faced her only minor difficulty as she served for victory, her fifth double-fault handing Santangelo a break point. The seed promptly solved that problem with an ace then saved another before firing her ninth ace of a quick afternoon under gloomy skies to advance. The victory marked her 28th at Wimbledon against six losses. Sharapova blew her customary kisses to the crowd as she left the court with a place in the fourth round after overcoming 16 unforced errors with 30 winners. Bad weather has plagued the event’s first week, with Thursday the lone day without rain. Despite the deluges which have threatened to throw the tournament off schedule, Wimbledon officials said that there will be no play on the middle Sunday. ‘Irrespective of the amount of play today, the middle Saturday (30 June), I can confirm that we are sufficiently on schedule and that, therefore, there will be no play tomorrow, Sunday 1 July,’ read a statement from All England Club chief executive Ian Ritchie. The club is alone among the four majors in providing a day of pause midway through the fortnight, with no matches scheduled. Thanks to good luck and fast matches, officials managed to get the Grand Slam caught up on Friday - until more weather intervened on the dreary middle weekend. Betting shops are already offering odds that the event will be extended past next Sunday’s men’s final. Ladbrokes are make it 4/1 that the event will finish a day late, with 16/1 that it lasts until the third Tuesday. ‘There’s a danger the weather could serve up a whopping Wimbledon washout,’ said a spokesman. Wimbledon was last forced to play the final a day late in 2001, when Goran Ivanisevic achieved the dream of his career by winning the title over Australian Pat Rafter. Wimbledon’s iconic Centre Court is currently in the midst of a moveable roof addition, due to be completed in 2009. This year, the court is completely exposed to the elements, without even the benefit of the spectator overhang which will return when the project is completed in two years. The Wimbledon weather is part of a huge band of rain drenching Britain after serious flooding in the north of the country earlier in the week which has left some communities still underwater. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur