Maria Sharapova led a Russian charge into the last 16 at the French Open on Saturday finally shaking off the poor form that has seen her struggle to live up to her top seeding. The 21-year-old Russian world No 1 defeated Italy's Karin Knapp 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 with two contrasting sets.
In the first, Sharapova again struggled with her serve and consistency as Knapp came within two points of taking a one set lead. But in the second, after breaking serve in a marthon second game, Sharapova visibly relaxed allowing her to deploy her impressive arsenal of groundstrokes.
Sharapova needed three sets to win in each of her two previous rounds and in all three games completed so far she has had to play for over two hours. She knows though that she will have to add more consistency to her game before going up against compatriot Dinara Safina with a quarter-final place at stake. The pair have met five times with Sharapova winning three.
"I kind of forgot what it felt like to finish in two even though I still managed to play for two hours out there," she said. Safina made it through to the fourth round in Paris for the third straight year with a 6-2, 7-5 win over China's last representative Zheng Jie.
Following the two of them into the last 16 was 2006 runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova who comfortably saw off another Russian, Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-1. The fourth seed said that she had come into Paris in poor form but that just playing in a Grand Slam event had given her the boost she needed and she felt that she has the chance to go all the way this year.
She next takes on rising star Victoria Azarenka of Belarus a player she has beaten on two previous occasions. The 18-year-old Azarenka, a former world junior champion, crushed Italian veteran Francesa Schiavone 6-1, 6-1 and she has lost only two games in her last two matches. She lost to Kuznetsova in the fourth round of last year's US Open, but is convinced it will be different this time.
Also into the last 16 was the third seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia who defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 7-5, 6-3 in a game held over from late Friday with Jankovic a set and 4-2 ahead. Two of the men's third round ties went to five sets.
Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer lived up to his nickname of 'The Bulldozer' to crush the brave resistance of Australia's Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a marathon three and half hour tussle. He will next take on unorthodox Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, who continued his rich vein of recent form by seeing off Spanish claycourt specialist Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
Fernando Gonzalez meanwhile battled back from two sets down to outlast Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 The Chilean, looking to rebound from a poor season so far, will face up to Robby Ginepri who became the first American to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros since Andre Agassi in 2003 by defeating Frenchman Florent Serra 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
FRENCH OPEN RESULTS MEN 3RD ROUND Radek Stepanek (CZE x21) bt Tommy Robredo (ESP x12) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x24) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x9) David Ferrer (ESP x5) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x25) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 Robby Ginepri (USA) bt Florent Serra (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
WOMEN 3RD ROUND Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x4) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x25) 6-2, 6-1 Victoria Azarenka (BLR x16) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA x18) 6-1, 6-1 Dinara Safina (RUS x13) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-2, 7-5 Maria Sharapova (RUS x1) bt Karin Knapp (ITA x32) 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 Jelena Jankovic (SRB x3) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x28) 7-5, 6-3.