Tennis: Amelie Mauresmo seems to be improving with each day. The French number one arrived here under the radar, having been knocked out in the first round at Eastbourne.
Mauresmo dropped just five games to get to the second round and four games winning through to the third round and yesterday won the first set 6-0 and second 6-2 against American Shenay Perry.
Fireworks were not expected from Perry, who has never won a WTA title and is ranked 159th in the world, but heads are beginning to turn toward the 23-year-old Mauresmo as we approach the second week. She won 77 per cent of points at the net and 70 per cent of baseline points in the first, 24-minute set before easing up in the second.
Perry held her serve twice in the 57-minute match.
In the rain-interrupted day a number of matches did not even get to court, including Kim Clijsters's third-round match against Italy's Roberta Vinci and world number one Lindsay Davenport's meeting with Dinara Safina.
Ninth seed Anastasia Myskina did come through against Jelena Jankovic in somewhat controversial circumstances. The match finished 6-0, 5-7, 10-8 in favour of the Russian ninth seed, but Jankovic afterwards complained that the umpire would not allow her a toilet break when she complained of something in her eye.
"I got something in my eye and I couldn't see when I was returning serve. I asked if I could go to the toilet and she said no. I couldn't understand it. Who knows what would have happened if I had been able to see," complained Jankovic.
The rules state the umpire can deny a player a toilet break if she suspects gamesmanship.
Also through is sixth seed Elena Dementieva, who defeated Mashona Washington in two sets. The first set was almost comic as both players kept handing over their serves.
Dementieva, who has been working with the 1996 men's singles champion, Richard Krajicek, on her serving action, has for a long time had a problem with the delivery. It appeared to work okay in the second set. Following the 7-5 first set the 23-year-old then proceeded to rattle Washington 6-1.
"I think they were pretty tough conditions today," said Dementieva. "It was very windy on the court. But I think my serve was pretty good today, much better than in the previous match.
"I just feel that I've finally got my confidence on my serve."
Yesterday's results
Men's Singles
Round Two: (+) (2) Andy Roddick (USA) bt Daniele Bracciali (Ita) 7-5 6-3 6-7(3-7) 4-6 6-3.
Round Three: (+) (21) Fernando Gonzalez (Chi) bt (+) (11) Joachim Johansson (Swe) 6-4 6-4 6-2, (+) (3) Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) bt Justin Gimelstob (USA) 7-6(7-5) 6-4 7-5, (+) (24) Taylor Dent (USA) bt Tomas Berdych (Cze) 6-3 7-6(7-5) 6-3, (+) (10) Mario Ancic (Cro) bt Gael Monfils (Fra) 6-3 6-3 6-1, (+) (26) Feliciano Lopez (Spa) bt (+) (5) Marat Safin (Rus) 6-4 7-6(7-4) 6-3.
Women's Singles
Round Three: Magdalena Maleeva (Bul) bt Antonella Serra-Zanetti (Ita) 6-3 6-2, (+) (5) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt (+) (27) Nicole Vaidisova (Cze) 7-5 6-7(5-7) 6-2, (+) (3) Amelie Mauresmo (Fra) bt Shenay Perry (USA) 6-0 6-2, (+) (13) Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt (+) (22) Silvia Farina Elia (Ita) 5-7 6-4 6-4, (+) (9) Anastasia Myskina (Rus) bt (+) (17) Jelena Jankovic (Ser) 6-0 5-7 10-8, (+) (6) Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Mashona Washington (USA) 7-5 6-1.
Men's Doubles
Round One: Jan Hernych (Cze) and Tomas Zib (Cze) bt Jiri Novak (Cze) and Petr Pala (Cze) 6-6 7-6(7-4) 7-6(9-7) 4-6 6-3.
Round Two: Karol Beck (Svk) and Jaroslav Levinsky (Cze) bt (+) (10) Martin Damm (Cze) and Mariano Hood (Arg) 7-6(7-3) 6-7(2-7) 2-6 6-4 6-4, Dominik Hrbaty (Svk) and Michael Mertinak (Svk) bt Feliciano Lopez (Spa) and Rafael Nadal (Spa) WalkOver.
Women's Doubles
Round Two: (+) (17) Els Callens (Bel) and Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Swi) bt Elena Baltacha (Brit) and Jane O'Donoghue (Brit) 6-1 6-2, Vera Douchevina (Rus) and Shahar Peer (Isr) bt (+) (16) Gabriela Navratilova (Cze) and Michaela Pastikova (Cze) 6-2 6-7(7-9) 8-6, Lisa McShea (Aus) and Abigail Spears (USA) bt Stephanie Cohen Aloro (Fra) and Selima Sfar (Tun) 6-1 6-2, (+) (6) Janette Husarova (Svk) and Conchita Martinez (Spa) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spa) and Maria Antonia Sanchez-Lorenzo (Spa) 6-2 6-3, Ana Ivanovic (Ser) and Tina Krizan (Slo) bt (+) (14) Eleni Daniilidou (Gre) and Nicole Pratt (Aus) 6-3 6-1, (+) (4) Nadia Petrova (Rus) and Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) bt Marta Domachowska (Pol) and Silvija Talaja (Cro) 6-3 6-1, (+) (15) Emilie Loit (Fra) and Barbora Strycova (Cze) bt Alina Jidkova (Rus) and Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukr) 3-6 6-4 7-5.
Mixed Doubles
Round One: Travis Parrott (USA) and Amy Frazier (USA) bt Richard Barker (Brit) and Claire Curran (Brit) 3-6 6-3 6-1, Ashley Fisher (Aus) and Jelena Kostanic (Cro) bt Jiri Novak (Cze) and Tathiana Garbin (Ita) 6-3 6-4, Martin Garcia (Arg) and Mara Santangelo (Ita) bt Sebastian Prieto (Arg) and Maria Vento-Kabchi (Ven) 6-3 6-4.
