On a cold, damp day at the All England Club, the fourth seeded Frenchwoman made up for lost time by taking just 57 minutes to dismantle the feeble challenge of Italian 28th seed Mara Santangelo 6-1, 6-2.

Sharapova also scored comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over Japan's Ai Sugiyama. The Russian starlet will face either Venus Williams or Akiko Morigami for a place in the quarterfinals.

Watched from the Royal Box by former West Indian cricket skippers Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara, who are more than familiar with wet English summers, Mauresmo was untroubled in her third round match which she wrapped up with an ace.

Worryingly for her rivals, the 26-year-old Frenchwoman has dropped just 10 games in three matches at the 2007 championships.

Mauresmo, who goes on to face either Czech 14th seed Nicole Vaidisova or Victoria Azarenka of Belarus for a place in the quarterfinals, would have been delighted to have got on to Centre Court on Saturday.

Torrential rain had swamped the All England Club earlier in the day.