Amelie Mauresmo outfoxed Italy's Silvia Farina Elia 7-5 6-3 in the fourth round at Wimbledon today to stay on course for a potential semi-final showdown with champion Serena Williams.
The fourth-seeded Frenchwoman, who lost to Serena in the semi-finals on her last appearance here two years ago, underlined her title credentials by reaching the last eight without dropping a set.
Having missed the grasscourt championships through injury 12 months ago, Mauresmo has bludgeoned past her opponents to set up a quarter-final meeting against Argentine ninth seed Paola Suarez, who beat Rita Grande of Italy 4-6 6-0 6-2.
Farina Elia stayed in contention for the first set until being broken in the final game on a sun-drenched court two.
"I had in my mind I had to go forward, take advantage, take the opportunity of my aggressive game," said Mauresmo. "I just was patient," she added. "And I thought it's going to come, my time is going to come on her serve."
Having broken the deadlock, there was no stopping Mauresmo and she gained a 3-0 advantage in the second set by running her opponent ragged behind the baseline.
Although the 24-year-old had her right thigh strapped, she appeared to be untroubled in her movement and clinched victory after 87 minutes with a deft volley.
"It was a little up and down throughout this first week, especially with some cold and rain," Mauresmo said of her thigh. "It's a little better now actually. It's more prevention, I would say."
Suarez had to come from a set down to win her baseline battle with 103-ranked Grande and reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time.
Serena opened her powerful shoulders and flattened 16-year-old Tatiana Golovin for her place in the last eight. The American champion and top seed steam-rollered the French girl 6-2 6-1 on Centre Court to book a last eight match against either Jennifer Capriati or Nadia Petrova.