Nicole Pratt's run at Wimbledon has ended with a straight-sets defeat to top seed Amelie Mauresmo in round three.

The long-odds underdog Pratt dropped was never in the contest losing 6-1 6-2.

Mauresmo attacked the Pratt serve, winning 64 per cent of return points in the opening set, when she also hit 13 winners to five.

Mauresmo produced the break in a marathon third game of the second set, and the match petered away from there.

The statistics illustrated Mauresmo's dominance: seven aces to nil, 15 unreturnable serves to five, 74 per cent of service points won compared to Pratt's 45, and 28 winners to ten.

Despite the predictable defeat to the top seed, Pratt can be satisfied with her best ever Wimbledon at the age of 33.

She has been visiting Wimbledon since 1990, when she played her first qualifier, and until this year had won just two main-draw matches, but doubled that tally this year with victories over Jarmila Gajdosova and number 29 seed Tatiana Golovin.

The draw has opened up nicely for Mauresmo with Venus Williams' shock defeat, and should have little opposition en route to the semi-finals where she is likely to meet former champion Maria Sharapova.

Earlier in the day Lleyton Hewitt won through to the fourth round with a straight forward 6-1 6-4 6-4 win over Olivier Rochus, and next will play Spaniard David Ferrer, who came from two sets to love down to win in five over Fernando Gonzalez.

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