Mauresmo augments power with mental edge

Amelie Mauresmo carries a tattoo of an angel on her left shoulder, and after her single-minded disposal of the third seed Jennifer Capriati here she was asked if it was an angel of any particular kind. "Yeah," she replied with a laugh. "Me."

Yesterday, in a rain-interrupted Centre Court quarter-final against an opponent who had beaten her at the same stage of the last two Grand Slam tournaments in Australia and the United States, the 22-year-old Frenchwoman was an avenging angel.

The theory about Mauresmo since her sudden emergence three years ago when she reached the Australian Open final is that she wobbles under pressure, or tends towards being – in Capriati's phrase – "like, streaky." Yesterday, despite the distraction of having to leave the court immediately after warming up, and twice during the course of play, it did not happen. Indeed, it never even looked like happening.

Mauresmo's mental frailty was painfully highlighted on home territory last year when she arrived as favourite for the French Open and departed, distraught, after the first round. But yesterday it was Capriati, whose own mental strength has enabled her to take three Grand Slam titles since an unprecedented comeback, who looked distracted and unsettled.

The 26-year-old from Florida was hampered by a shoulder strain which twice required treatment, although she refused to make it an excuse for her 6-3, 6-2 defeat. "I don't think it had anything to do with my loss today," she said. "it didn't help to be playing an opponent today that was playing the best she's played in a long, long time. I mean, she played unbelievable.

When it was suggested to her that Mauresmo – seeded nine here – should already have won a Grand Slam title, Capriati replied: "It's very tough to win a Grand Slam. Talent and power, yeah – but you've got to have the whole package, mentally be there, physically just be consistent. She's got lots of time. I think she can only get better. So there's definitely a possibility."

It is a possibility that has begun to dawn on Mauresmo, particularly since her third-round win against Anastasia Myskina, where she began to adapt her game to the grass surface by moving into the net and volleying aggressively.

"I knew I shouldn't let Jennifer play her game, do what she likes to do, which is dictating... I'm not used to playing like this, being aggressive, going to the net as often. But I think the grass court is giving me this opportunity and I just take it. I have a big presence at the net, so I just keep doing it. It works."

Her poise on court was mirrored by her performance in the press room yesterday as she was asked how important the support of her partner, Sylvie Bourdain, had been to her success. Translated, this meant: "Amelie. Please talk about your life as a lesbian". But Amelie, who came out very publicly in the wake of her one and – so far, only – Grand Slam final appearance, was ready for that one. "My partner? My ex-partner, you mean?" Yesterday, Mauresmo was firmly in control of everything that came at her.

She was aided by fortune at one crucial point in the match, however. With Capriati serving at 2-3 down in the first set, the weather – fitful all day – began to worsen again, and the American began to look increasingly discomfited as she sent from 15-0 to 15-40. After another netted serve, she glanced meaningfully up at the rain that was beginning to drift down from the leaden sky above, and then at the umpire, but carried on with a second serve that was so long it looked like no more than an excuse to get out of the wet.

"I probably should have stopped," Capriati said. "I could have stopped. That was the key time because that's when I got broken."

That misjudgement was compounded by increasing difficulty with a stiff shoulder, and the palpably growing confidence of her opponent, who closed out the set and then took a 5-1 lead in the second before Capriati saved a little pride with a service game that included three aces.

The obvious question now is, what happens when the Williams sisters come at her. Serena, who is the first in line, showed in her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Daniela Hantuchova, that serving power and fearsome groundstrokes are simply too destructive to be undermined by mere elegance. But the Frenchwoman may have an aggression, and a more developed all-court game, than the Slovakian, who by no means disgraced herself in yesterday's quarter-final.

Asked if she felt the new-look Mauresmo could stop one or both of the Williams sisters, Capriati replied: "Sure, I think so. She has a pretty good chance if she plays like she did today."

Mauresmo clearly thinks so too. Interesting.