Maria Sharapova [Images] squeezed in a victory between downpours at Wimbledon on Saturday, beating Ai Sugiyama of Japan [Images] 6-3 6-3 to book her place in the fourth round.

The Russian gained the advantage in the first set when she broke in the fifth game. Her superior ball placement and light touch put pressure on Sugiyama in the ninth and the Japanese 26th seed handed her the set with a double fault.

The second seed seemed to lose concentration after winning the set, allowing Sugiyama to break her to love immediately and then hold serve to go 2-0 up.

The world number two got the break back in the sixth game and then stepped up a gear to rattle off the remaining three games, sealing victory with a forehand winner just as the rain which had delayed the start of the match poured again.

The players had to make a hasty dash off the court so the covers could be pulled over the grass.

Sharapova, the 2004 champion, will play either Venus Williams or Akiko Morigami in the fourth round.

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