LONDON (AFP) - Dinara Safina became the first player to win a competitive match under the new Centre Court roof at Wimbledon, beating France's Amelie Mauresmo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday to book a quarter-final spot.

The Russian world number one claimed victory over the 2006 champion in two hours and nine minutes as the pair made history at the All England Club.

Top seed Safina was a set down, but leading 4-1 in the second set when heavy rain prompted the 80-million-pound, 1,000-tonne roof to slide into action.

The Russian now faces Germany's unseeded 19-year-old Sabine Lisicki for a place in the semi-finals.

Safina, number one despite never having won a Grand Slam, raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set but 17th seed Mauresmo turned on the power and stormed back, taking the first set 6-4 in 39 minutes.

Mauresmo broke in the first game of the second set and was 40-0 up in the second game but ended up losing it to Safina, who got angry about a line call and stormed her way through the rest of the set.

After winning that game, she held serve and broke to love to make it 3-1.

The Russian was 4-1 ahead when rain stopped play, meaning the new Centre Court roof was deployed mid-game for the first time during the championships.

"Because of the current weather situation, the referee has decided to close the Centre Court roof," an announcer said.

Play halted at 4:35 pm (1535 GMT), and resumed at 5:19 pm (1619 GMT).

Shade temperatures on Centre Court had earlier reached 31 degrees Celsius, on the hottest day of the year so far in Britain.

The roof took seven minutes to close and when the two sliding sections met in the middle, the crowd burst into applause.

The rain soon stopped but the translucent fabric roof remained on nonetheless.

Though Mauresmo pulled the score back to 5-3 once play resumed, Safina took the second set 6-3, having three set points in the final game and serving an ace to seal it.

Mauresmo started the final set in determined mood, winning the first game to love, then breaking Safina on a deuce and holding serve for a 3-0 lead.

But Safina fought back, holding serve herself then breaking Mauresmo to love to make it 3-2 to the Frenchwoman.

Mauresmo had two break points at 4-3 ahead but Safina pulled it back to level the scores.

She then immediately broke Mauresmo to leave her serving for the match and won it with two match points to spare when the French number two hit the net.

Safina now faces Lisicki, who is on an impressive run at the All England Club.

The emerging world number 41 beat Danish ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4 in the last 16, having beaten French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round.