Safina, Sharapova, Davydenko through to French Open quarters
Russia`s Dinara Safina and Nikolai Davydenko underlined their current good form with straight set wins in Paris at the weekend with unseeded Maria Sharapova continuing her tennis comeback following surgery.
The world former No. 1 Sharapova, who has slipped to 102 in the world following ten months out through injury, wobbled slightly at Roland Garros producing 33 unforced errors and dropping the second set during her 6:4. 0:6. 6:4 win over China`s Na Li, seeded 25.
In form Nikolai Davydenko, seeded tenth, dispatched Spain`s Fernando Verdasco 6:2, 6:2, 6:4 to set up a quarterfinal match with Sweden`s Robin Soderling, who was the shock winner against world no 1 Rafael Nadal.
Dinara Safina, who has dropped just five games en route to the quarters, said after her clinical 6:1, 6:0 win over France`s Aravane Rezai that she had never played as well in the first four rounds of a Grand Slam tournament.
In a post-match interview on the tournament website the 23-year-old said that her game had improved and she was far more focused since becoming world no. 1 in April
"I want to win every point. So I think this is something new in me, before I would maybe just go out there and play and then waste my energy. I would still win a match, but like 6-4, 6-4," she said.
"Now I have a match, I try to focus, and every point is important. No free points. No stupid mistakes. Just point by point I`m playing," Safina told journalists.
Seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova will play her fourth round match later today against Poland`s Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded 12.
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