2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

Sharapova and Serena march on in Paris

Maria Sharapova survived a string of unforced errors to book her place in the third round of the French Open on Friday with a 6-2 6-4 rain-delayed win against Canada's Eugenie Bouchard.
The defending champion, seeded second at Roland Garros, returned to Court Philippe Chatrier leading 6-2 4-2 after the match had been interrupted by rain late on Thursday.
Despite Bouchard's late fight and a total of 28 unforced errors from the Russian, Sharapova wrapped it up in 15 minutes on her first match point.
She will face China's Zheng Jie for a last-16 spot.
Serena Williams breezed past Sorana Cirstea 6-0 6-2, extending her winning streak to 27 matches and laying down a marker of her title potential.
It took eight games and 33 minutes before her 26th-seeded Romanian opponent made a mark on the scoreboard, a feat that was greeted with sympathetic cheers from the Parisian crowd.
The world number one broke three times in the opening set and although she found the going tougher in the second, losing two early games and facing break points, she had too much power for Cirstea.
The American has dropped a mere six games.
"Every Slam is really my priority," said the 15-times major winner who has only won the French once. "I would love to win this one, but there is still a lot of people in the draw that would love to win this tournament."
Williams, who won her only Roland Garros title in 2002, will play Italy's Roberta Vinci in the next round after she beat Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-1 2-6 6-2.
Three former women's champions advanced. Ana Ivanovic beat Virginie Razzano 6-3 6-2 and Svetlana Kuznetsova reached the fourth round for the ninth time with a 6-4 7-6(2) defeat of Bojana Jovanovski.
A round back, 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone showed she is still a ***** on clay by ousting 21st seed Kirsten Flipkens 6-1 4-6 6-3.
Last year's women's runner-up Sara Errani maintained her impressive form to reach round four, the Italian fifth seed overcoming Germany's Sabine Lisicki for the loss of four games.
Home hope Marion Bartoli, seeded 13th, battled past Colombian qualifier Mariana Duque 7-6 (5) 7-5 to set up a third-round clash with Schiavone.

Women's results

Round 3

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat 26-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-0 6-2

4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Dinah Pfizenmaier (Germany) 6-3 6-4

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat 32-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-0 6-4

8-Angelique Kerber (Germany) beat 29-Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) 6-4 6-7(3) 6-4

14-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Virginie Razzano (France) 6-3 6-2

15-Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat Petra Cetkovska (Czech Republic) 6-1 2-6 6-2

20-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) 6-4 7-5

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) 6-4 7-6(2)

Round 2:

2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) 6-2 6-4

12-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Ashleigh Barty (Australia) 6-3 6-1

13-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Mariana Duque (Colombia) 7-6(5) 7-5

Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat 21-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-1 4-6 6-3

Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) beat Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 7-6(6) 3-6 8-6

 

[Smallville22]

Vulnerable Nadal needs to find form against flashy Fognini

After two lacklustre performances and an out-of-character rant at organisers all eyes will be on Rafa Nadal to see if the claycourt matador or this week's vulnerable impostor shows up to face Fabio Fognini on Saturday.
Seven-times champion Nadal let his feelings be known after Parisian downpours and lop-sided scheduling left him with only one day's rest before facing the showman Italian, who has had an extra 24 hours recuperation.
After being taken to four sets by Daniel Brands in round one and Martin Klizan on Friday, Nadal expects Fognini, with his flashy winners, to be in better shape.
"Probably my opponent is better than me, talking about physical performance, but the only thing I can say is I'm going to work as much as I can to be 100 per cent ready," Nadal said.
"It will be a really tough match, and I need to play better than today. I need to do it."
In contrast to Nadal, Novak Djokovic looked imperious in his second-round victory over Argentina's Guido Pella, but in Grigor Dimitrov he faces a player who beat him in the second round of the Madrid Masters this month.
The world number one is keen to see if the Bulgarian can back up his obvious potential.
"A few tournaments does not change much," Djokovic said. "Of course it can help him mentally, for his confidence and self-belief on the court, because he's got shots, he's got talent."
Women's champion Maria Sharapova faces China's Jheng Zie, and third seed Victoria Azarenka opens the action on Philippe Chatrier Court against France's Alize Cornet.

 

[Smallville22]

Sharapova through after scare, Azarenka beats Cornet

Defending champion Maria Sharapova was pushed for the first time at the French Open before overcoming tenacious Chinese player Zheng Jie 6-1 7-5 on Chatrier Court on Saturday.
The Russian second seed, playing for the third day in succession after needing two days to complete her second round because of rain, was ****** into a scrap after initially looking a class above her 43rd-ranked opponent.
Sharapova trailed 4-1 in the second set, clawed back to 4-4, then fell 5-4 behind with Zheng serving to level the match but turned up the volume of her grunting and her play to avoid being extended further.
The 26-year-old wrapped up victory when Zheng netted a forehand service return, moving through to a last-16 clash against American Sloane Stephens, who beat Marina Erakovic 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3.
Third seed Victoria Azarenka stuttered into the last 16 of the French Open but her title credentials were given a rigorous examination in a 4-6 6-3 6-1 win over a spirited Alize Cornet.
For large periods of the encounter, France's Cornet out-fought the double Australian Open champion and looked much sharper around the court.
Cornet, seeded 31, took the first set and both players struggled to find consistency on their serve, frequently exchanging breaks, as the sun made a rare appearance at Roland Garros.
The pair then went toe-to-toe before the Belarussian found her rhythm and broke Cornet's resolve, taking the second set and running away with the third.
"I'm not surprised by how she played, she showed what a terrific player she can be," Azarenka said in a courtside interview. "That's the best tennis she has played against me."
Azarenka's consistency and greater firepower, however, ultimately wore down Cornet.
"She's a machine, a juggernaut," Cornet said. "She plays the same from the first to the last point.
"It's my feeling that I was knocked around everywhere by her topspin.
"What's frightening is I dropped one or two games but that's enough for your head to go under the water."
Azarenka will now face former champion Francesca Schiavone, who put in an eye-catching performance to beat France's Marion Bartoli 6-2 6-1.
With all eyes on defending champion Maria Sharapova and world number one Serena Williams, Italian Schiavone, the 2010 Roland Garros winner, had gone unnoticed until she ended Bartoli's run in ruthless fashion on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Bartoli fought until the end but there was little she could do against Schiavone's repertoire of sliced backhands, spinning forehands and cunning lobs that got the better of the Frenchwoman after 78 minutes.

Women’s results

2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Zheng Jie (China) 6-1 7-5

3-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat 31-Alize Cornet (France) 4-6 6-3 6-1

Jamie Hampton (U.S.) beat 7-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 6-1 7-6(7)

18-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat 9-Samantha Stosur (Australia) 3-6 6-3 6-4

12-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) 7-6(3) 7-5

Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat 13-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-2 6-1

17-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) beat Paula Ormaechea (Argentina) 4-6 6-1 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

France's Paire docked penalty point for on-court coaching

Frenchman Benoit Paire was docked a penalty point for receiving coaching from his support team during his third-round defeat by Kei Nishikori at the French Open on Saturday.
The temperamental 24-year-old had already been warned for mangling a racket during the second set of his 6-3 6-7(3) 6-4 6-1 defeat on Suzanne Lenglen court when he was given a point penalty on set point against the 13th-seeded Japanese player.
Nishikori, the first man from Japan to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros since 1938, had just double-faulted to hand Paire a second set point in the 10th game of the second set when the umpire penalised Paire and called the score as deuce.
With the crowd booing loudly, Paire vented his anger at the official and a tournament official was called on to court. Paire sarcastically applauded the official before he finally resumed playing as the noise continued.
Nishikori had to deal with a cacophony of booing as he held on to his serve for 5-5.
A fired-up Paire claimed the second-set tiebreak with some superb tennis, roaring towards the umpire after set point and pumping his fists towards the crowd.
Paire, who made 64 unforced errors during the match, many with careless forehands and ill-timed drop shots, withered away after being broken in the third set and looked disinterested by the end of the match.
"If it had been Rafa Nadal or any good players for sure they wouldn't have had a warning," Paire said. "To have a warning on set point, it's not possible."

 

[Smallville22]

Sharapova calls for Hawk-Eye after scare

Maria Sharapova has called for the implementation of Hawk-Eye at Roland Garros after suffering a wrong call in her third round win.
Umpires clambering off their chairs to inspect ball marks in the clay is a common sight at Roland Garros but champion Maria Sharapova believes it is time technology took over after a rough call in her win on Saturday.
Sharapova slipped 4-1 down in the second set against tenacious Chinese Zheng Jie before going through 6-1 7-5 to set up a French Open last-16 clash with American Sloane Stephens.
Serving at 3-1 down in the second set the second seed's second delivery was called out. The umpire checked the mark at her insistence and confirmed the call although television replays suggested the Russian's suspicions were justified.
"First of all it's not even about the fact of the call, whether it was in or out," Sharapova told reporters.
"I think for me it was the fact the umpire did not recognise the mark he pointed out was about a foot away from the actual mark. That's a huge question mark to begin with.
"All the other grand slams have Hawk-Eye and I know these types of situations happen although much more rarely on the clay. Why not? Why don't we have a system like this?
"I mean, is it a money concern? I don't think so. This is just absolute proof that it's a big point and it can happen in any situation," said Sharapova.
The other three grand slams, two played on hardcourts and one on grass at Wimbledon, allow players to have three unsuccessful Hawk-Eye challenges each set and the system is popular with players and fans.
Sharapova, playing for the third day in succession after needing two days to complete her second-round match because of rain, was ****** into a scrap after initially looking a class above her 43rd-ranked opponent.
She trailed 4-1 in the second set, clawed back to 4-4 and then fell 5-4 behind.
Zheng served to level the match but Sharapova turned up the volume of her grunting and her play to avoid being extended further.
"Down 4-1 is not a score I want but I am happy with the way I fought back and I found a way to win that second set without having to go into a third," the 26-year-old said.

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic destroys Dimitrov, Nadal sees off Fognini

Novak Djokovic dished out a painful lesson to young pretender Grigor Dimitrov, beating the Bulgarian 6-2 6-2 6-3 to move into the last 16 of the French Open, where he is joined by Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic then suffered the emotional blow of learning that Jelena Gencic, his first coach and the person who first recognised his exceptional talent, had died in Belgrade on Saturday aged 77.
The world number one broke down in the locker room after the match, according to a spokesman, and cancelled his post-match media commitments.
Gencic noticed Djokovic when she ran a tennis camp when he was six years old and coached him for five years.
Djokovic's team had kept the news of her death a secret and even the post-match courtside interviewer was instructed not to mention it.
The Serb had come through his match against Dimitrov untroubled.
The only concern hanging his emphatic display was an injury timeout in the third set when then the trainer was called on court to massage a problem with his shoulder.
The Serb, chasing the only grand slam missing from his collection, capitalised on a string of Dimitrov errors to gain revenge over the player who had beaten him in Madrid in May.
He will now face Philipp Kohlschreiber after he beat Victor Hanescu 6-0 7-6(0) 6-1.
Rafael Nadal beat Italian Fabio Fognini 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4 to book his place in the fourth round.
Third seed Nadal suffered the occasional wobble but, for the first time this year, did not drop a set as he set up a meeting with Japanese 13th seed Kei Nishikori on his 27th birthday on Monday.
The Spaniard, who struggled in his first two rounds, was bothered by Fognini's clever shots early on but once he got the measure of the 27th seed the contest was effectively over.
Nadal, who has 11 grand-slam titles to his name, sealed the win after two hours 45 minutes when Fognini sent a backhand long.
"I think he is a fantastic player," Nadal said of his opponent in a courtside interview. "Winning the first set is always important especially after losing it in the first matches."
Nadal's ability to play the important points as if they were a matter of life and death made the difference against Fognini. The Italian entered Court Philippe Chatrier with a swagger but the smile was wiped off his face eventually.
Fognini looked the more aggressive player at the start and broke for 3-2 after sending Nadal left and right, finishing off a long rally with a routine smash.
His sudden backhand accelerations caused the Spaniard problems but Nadal broke back for 4-4 when his opponent netted an easy forehand.
He had three set points in the 10th game, only for Fognini to coolly see them off - one with a stunning forehand winner.
The Italian broke in the following game when Nadal sent a forehand long but the muscular Spaniard broke back to ***** a tiebreak.
Nadal, facing the prospect of losing the opening set in the first three rounds at Roland Garros for the first time, won an epic, lung-burning point after Fognini was caught off guard by his opponent's back spin to open up a 5-4 lead in the decider.
Nadal then had the upper hand, to Fognini's frustration.
In the second game of the second set, after netting a forehand passing shot, the Italian tried to volley his racket with his foot, to the crowd's amusement.
At change of ends after the third game, Fognini had his thumb and forefinger treated for blisters and could not resist jokingly showing the trainer his middle finger, with a big smile on his face.
Nadal, who is looking to become the first man to win the same grand-slam title eight times, meant business however, and closed the affair after resisting a late fightback by Fognini.
Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man to reach the last 16 of the French Open in 75 years when he beat French 24th seed Benoit Paire 6-3 6-7(3) 6-4 6-1 in the third round on Saturday.
Nishikori, the 13th seed, kept his composure despite his opponent's histrionics and bad temper, weathering the fickle Court Suzanne Lenglen crowd to prevail on his first match point.
Fumiteru Nakano was the last man to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros, in 1938.
Nishikori, whose best Grand-Slam result is a 2012 Australian Open quarter-final, will next face Nadal.
Local favourite and seventh seed Richard Gasquet continued his French Open stroll with a 6-4 6-4 6-3 win over Russian Nikolay Davydenko to advance into the fourth round.
Gasquet, who has now reached the last 16 of a grand slam for the sixth time in a row, has yet to drop a set and joins compatriots Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the sixth seed, and 15th seed Gilles Simon in the fourth round.
"It was an incredible atmosphere, it was great for me out there today," Gasquet told a courtside interviewer on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
"Once again I'm in the fourth round, I will try to go further this year but I know I'm going to face a tough opponent," he added.
Gasquet will meet Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka for a quarter-final place after he defeated Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3 6-3.
German veteran Tommy Haas ****** up 12 match points and gave away a two-set lead but still outlasted marathon man John Isner 7-5 7-6 (4) 4-6 6-7 (10) 10-8 in the third round of the French Open on Saturday.
Haas, the oldest man left in the draw at 35, looked down and out after missing countless opportunities to close out the match in the fourth set but somehow mustered the energy from his ageing limbs to finish off his opponent.
Isner, who played in the longest match in professional tennis at Wimbledon in 2010, had come through another epic five-set battle against Ryan Harrison two days ago.
The big-serving American was barely able to move as Haas served out to win in four hours 37 minutes.

Men's results

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 26-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-2 6-2 6-3

3-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat 27-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4

7-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-4 6-4 6-3

29-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat 8-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 6-4 6-4 6-3

9-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat 21-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 6-3 6-7(2) 6-3 6-3

12-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat 19-John Isner (U.S.) 7-5 7-6(4) 4-6 6-7(10) 10-8

13-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat 24-Benoit Paire (France) 6-3 6-7(3) 6-4 6-1

16-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Victor Hanescu (Romania) 6-0 7-6(0) 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Mature Gasquet ready for big stage - Grosjean

Richard Gasquet, once crushed by the weight of expectation, has matured on and off the court and is ready to burst on to the big stage, according to coach Sebastien Grosjean.
The Frenchman, dubbed the Mozart of tennis in his teenage years, has been something of an underachiever, having gone past the last 16 at a grand slam only once when he reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2007.
The 26-year-old Gasquet, who has one of the most beautiful one-handed backhands on the tour, was the youngest man to finish inside the ATP top 100 in 2003.
This year, the seventh seed has not dropped a set at the French Open and has been looking impressive ahead of Monday's fourth-round meeting with Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
"For Richard, the tournament starts tomorrow. He is physically fit," Grosjean, a former semi-finalist at Roland Garros, told Reuters in an interview.
"It will be tough but he has the cards in his hands."
Grosjean believes Gasquet, who is ranked ninth in the world, is a different man after going through a rough time following a positive test for ******* four years ago.
"He has grown up, he feels comfortable with himself, even off the court and he is aware of his level," Grosjean, who coaches Gasquet along with Italian Riccardo Piatti, explained.
"He is regular, he is in the top 10, he knows what he's worth."
Gasquet, who avoided a lengthy ban after the International Tennis Federation ruled he had taken ******* inadvertently, is also aware he should play only for himself.
"He had the impression that he was judged for everything he was doing," Grosjean said.
"He understood that he has to play for himself. He got fed up of being criticised for everything. Everything he went through helped him grow. He doesn't mind being judged anymore."
Having regularly ****** when it started to matter, Gasquet is now offered a golden opportunity to stamp his authority against Wawrinka as he looks to join fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight.
"Wawrinka won the Estoril tournament after beating (David) Ferrer, he played the final in Madrid, but I still bet on Richard because I trust him," Grosjean said.

 

[Smallville22]

Federer survives huge scare to set up Tsonga clash

Second seed Roger Federer produced a thrilling riposte to Gilles Simon's gallant attempt to knock him out of the French Open, coming from behind to beat the Frenchman 6-1 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
Averting a mounting crisis in the middle of a spectacular match, Federer won the last two sets to reach his 36th consecutive grand slam quarter-final and keep alive his hopes of a second title at Roland Garros.
When 15th seed Simon, roared on by chants of "Gillou", won the third set, Federer looked to be in danger but the 17-times grand slam champion hit back with every weapon in his arsenal to set up a quarter-final with another French hope, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
It was nerve-wracking until the end, however, with Federer missing an easy volley when serving for the match at 5-3 to offer Simon hope of a late escape.
Federer then ****** his first match point with an anxious forehand swiped into the net but when a second opportunity came his way Simon pushed a backhand into the tramlines.
"It was beautiful, it's always special to play matches like that," 2009 champion and firm Paris favourite Federer said at courtside. "You always remember matches like this."
The victory was 31-year-old Federer's 58th at the French Open, making him joint leader with Guillermo Vilas and Nicola Pietrangeli on the all-time list of matches won here.
The Swiss had to dig into his vast repertoire of strokes to subdue Simon - a player who has troubled him before and who won the first two of their five previous meetings.
There were the delicate drop shots, lob volleys, the backhand slices that seem to hang in the air for eternity and then those explosive forehands that few players can return.
Federer even managed to curl one winner between the outside of the net post and the umpire's chair to give him a sixth and final set point in the opener.
Everything looked under control for Federer until he stumbled and fell in the sixth game of the second set.
There was no obvious damage but he was broken in the next game and Simon rammed home the advantage to level the match.
A flustered Federer dropped his serve twice in the third set as Simon, bidding to reach the quarter-finals at his home grand slam for the first time, sensed his chance for a huge upset.
Federer has made a career out of pulling out the stops when required, however, and quickly restored order, overpowering a tiring Simon in the fourth set with some belligerent tennis.
An early break in the fifth gave Federer breathing space and despite a few nervous moments at the end he claimed the 900th Tour victory of his career.
Tsonga easily dispatched Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-3 6-3 6-3 to book his place in the quarter-finals.
Tsonga, the last Frenchman to reach a Grand Slam final at the 2008 Australian Open, has yet to drop a set at Roland Garros this year and sealed a straightforward win in one hour 45 minutes.
He will next take on Swiss great Federer, who struggled past France's 15th seed Gilles Simon in five sets.
Tsonga beat Federer in the Wimbledon last-eight in 2011 and is desperate to repeat that kind of achievement on a more regular basis.
"I know fully well that I was able to beat them (the top players) at a given point in time, and for me the real challenge is not to beat one but to beat several, one after the other," he told a news conference.
"Beating one - I know that I'm able to do that. Beating two, well, for the time being, I have never done it. So that's the challenge."
Despite the Wimbledon loss, Federer has a 9-3 record against the Frenchman overall and Tsonga's over-reliance on his forehand could again be exposed.
The Frenchman is well aware of that fact.
"I have been working on my backhand since I was the age of five. And it's a disaster, my backhand, so I'm working on it," he said.
Tsonga, still on course to become the first Frenchman to win a grand slam title since Yannick Noah at Roland Garros in 1983, has matched last year's performance in Paris where he was knocked out in the quarters by Novak Djokovic after wasting four match points.
"It's great to win again in three sets but in the following round it is going to be dreadful," Tsonga earlier told a courtside interviewer.
Richard Gasquet, the seventh seed, is another Frenchman left in the draw. He plays Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka on Monday.
On a windswept Court Philippe Chatrier, after dark clouds had eaten away the last bit of morning sun, Tsonga whizzed through the first set.
World number 57 Troicki upped the tempo in the second set but cracked in the seventh game when Tsonga caught him off guard with a flicked lob which the Serbian returned into the net.
Tsonga broke decisively in the sixth game of the third set with one of his 17 forehand winners and wrapped it up on his third match point before doing his trademark victory swirl on court.

Mens' results:

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 15-Gilles Simon (France) 6-1 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-3

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat 23-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-3 6-1 6-1

6-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-3 6-3 6-3

32-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat 11-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 6-7(5) 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Ferrer into quarters to face Robredo

Spain's David Ferrer cut Kevin Anderson down to size to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, outclassing the towering South African to win 6-3 6-1 6-1.
The fourth seed had reached the last 16 without dropping a set for the third straight year and Anderson never looked like worrying the 31-year-old dynamo in a one-sided contest.
Twenty-third seed Anderson, the first South African to reach the last 16 since Wayne Ferreira in 1996, possesses one of the biggest serves in the game but it made no impact on Ferrer who broke it at the first time of asking.
"I don't want to ***** too much," Ferrer said, throwing cold water all over suggestions he could finally smash through the semi-final barrier at a slam.
"I am so very happy to have reached the quarter-finals. Of course, reaching the finals here would be okay but I wouldn't say that I would not ***** at night thinking about it, or I would ***** better."
Ferrer has surpassed former world number five Tommy Robredo in the pecking order of Spanish tennis, leading 6-2 in their previous meetings but has huge respect for his compatriot.
"It's gonna be a physical match, sure, and a long match," he said of the all-Spanish quarter-final between the pair.
In his five Grand-Slam semi-finals, Ferrer has lost three times to Novak Djokovic, once to Andy Murray and once to Nadal at Roland Garros last year.
He could be excused for cursing his luck at playing in an era containing three of the greatest players ever to swing a tennis racket but Ferrer is not courting sympathy.
"Tennis doesn't owe me anything; tennis is one of the fairest sports. It's given me so many extraordinary feelings," he said.
Ferrer was at his miserly best against Anderson, offering up only 11 unforced errors in a relentless onslaught that made his opponent look like a fish out of water.
Twenty-third seed Anderson, the first South African to reach the last 16 since Wayne Ferreira in 1996, possesses one of the biggest serves in the game but it resembled a pea-shooter against Ferrer who broke it at will.
Ferrer will now face Robredo in the quarters as the claycourt warrior came back from the brink yet again to beat another Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.
The 31-year-old Robredo looked down and out when he trailed by two sets and 4-1 on Suzanne Lenglen court but produced a stunning fightback to outlast the 11th seed 6-7(5) 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 after a three-hour-49-minute baseline battle.
It was the third match in a row that Robredo had performed a Houdini act from a two-set deficit, the first player to achieve that feat in a grand slam since Frenchman Henri Cochet at Wimbledon in 1927, and was overcome with emotion at the end.
"It's funny, because the last three, four years I couldn't even run that much," Robredo, whose career seemed in doubt last year when he missed five months because of hamstring surgery and dropped to 471 in the world rankings, told reporters.
"I lost the first, I lost the second, and I had pain in my arm and couldn't even hold the racket a couple of games.
"Then suddenly I recovered. He was 4-1-up. Maybe he had a little bit of doubt at that moment. Then I just pushed hard and I won the third. Then I was just dreaming and dreaming to try to do it again, and I did it."
Robredo saved four match points on his way to beating Frenchman Gael Monfils in the previous round and before that beat Igor Sijsling, also from two sets back.
He found himself in a big hole again after Almagro edged a tough first set and was overpowered in the second by the stocky 11th seed who looked in total control and on course for his sixth win out of six against the former world number five.
Robredo had not won a set off Almagro since their first meeting in 2007 but with nothing to lose he began to take greater risks.
His single-handed backhand, one of the most eye-catching in the game, began to find its range and suddenly it was Almagro who was being stretched in the baseline rallies.
Having levelled the match at two sets all, Robredo fell a break behind in the decider but produced one final fightback to seal a memorable victory when Almagro netted a backhand volley.
Robredo faces more hard graft in the quarter-finals, where he will be appearing for a fifth time when he faces compatriot Ferrer.
"Tommy is back," Ferrer, whose rise to the world's top five has led to him surpassing Robredo in Spain's pecking order, said.
"He had a difficult year. It was difficult for him to gather his strengths together again but he's done that. And he's one of the best players on clay."

Mens' results:Mens' results:

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 15-Gilles Simon (France) 6-1 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-3

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat 23-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-3 6-1 6-1

6-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-3 6-3 6-3

32-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat 11-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 6-7(5) 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-4

 

[Smallville22]

Serena breezes through to face Kuznetsova in quarters

World number one Serena Williams continued her serene progress at Roland Garros, beating Roberta Vinci 6-1 6-3 to reach the French Open quarter-finals.
It was Williams' 28th straight victory and underlined her title potential as her superior power overwhelmed her Italian challenger.
The match hammered home the inescapable truth that there is no substitute for raw power in the modern women's game as Williams, whose array of shots could blow holes in concrete, ably demonstrated by out-muscling the canny Vinci.
The Italian found out that as you head into the second week of a grand slam, you need at least one weapon in your armoury that can put your opponent on the back foot.
As it happens, Williams has a whole arsenal at her disposal and wrapped up victory for the loss of only four games, to take the total she has conceded in the entire tournament to 10.
Asked for a word to describe Vinci, a doubles specialist who relies more on her wiles to stay afloat, 2002 champion Williams replied: "Tricky".
Her own epithet was more emphatic.
It was certainly a fearsome display that she put in to complete her 28th straight victory and underline her title potential.
She coped better with the blustery conditions on Philippe Chatrier Court and broke three times to take the first set.
Vinci, who has won three grand-slam doubles titles with last year's French Open singles finalist Sara Errani, tried to move her opponent around the court to compensate for her lack of firepower but it was ultimately a futile effort.
Although she put up a better fight in the second set, she came up short at crucial moments and lost the last 10 points in a row to succumb in one hour 10 minutes.
A sterner test for Williams is likely to come in the next round as her quarter-final opponent is 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is not seeded at Roland Garros for the first time since 2003 but beat the American when they last played at Roland Garros.
The Russian dropped to 85th in the world after a six-month injury layoff following last year's Wimbledon, but has climbed to 39 and is a walloping baseliner who can crunch winners off both flanks.
"The last time we played here she won, so that will probably get her pumped up and she's on a comeback," Williams said.
"She has nothing to lose but everything to gain."
Kuznetsova booked her place in the quarter-finals by outplaying German eighth seed Angelique Kerber 6-4 4-6 6-3.
"She's the best in the world so far. She's been playing unbelievable tennis," Kuznetsova said of Williams.
"But I believe that I have my game and my good days, as well. Let's cross fingers I will have a good day that one. She's just a fighter."

Women's results:

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat 15-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-1 6-3

4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 14-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 6-2 6-4

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat 20-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 5-7 6-4 6-3

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 8-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-4 4-6 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Errani to face Radwanska in quarters at Roland Garros

Last year's beaten finalist Sara Errani overcame breathing difficulties to beat Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 5-7 6-4 6-3 and book her place in the quarter-finals of the French Open on Sunday.
Italy's Errani, who lost to Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros last year, took a medical timeout towards the end of the first set after doubling up in pain.
The fifth seed went on to lose that set, but swiftly recovered, to set up a last-eight meeting with fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
"I started to feel a stabbing pain when breathing," she said pointing under her ribs.
"I knew it wasn't muscular, but I couldn't stand up. So I called the physio and she told me that my diaphragm was totally blocked. She tried to release it a bit and afterwards it was much better.
"It was very strange and has never happened to me. I couldn't breathe and it also made me nervous."
Agnieszka Radwanska put in a master class in defensive tennis to defeat Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-4 on the Suzanne Lenglen court to reach her first quarter-final at Roland Garros.
Radwanska, who reached the final of Wimbledon last year, was in control from the start as she broke twice to take the first set in 43 minutes, and converted five of her nine break-point opportunities in a comfortable victory.
Ivanovic was more competitive in the second, breaking twice herself, but the former world number one also dropped serve three times to allow Radwanska to complete the victory.
Ivanovic came into the match having dropped only the one set in her opening three encounters, but was second best in almost every department as she lost to a player against whom she now has a 7-3 losing record.
"I actually think we were closer than maybe the score indicates," the current world number 14 added. "I think it was maybe my serve. If you lose yours against her you have to win points over and over again.
"There is a point where it gets frustrating and you have to stick with it. At some moments I didn't, and that made a big difference today."
"I'm definitely more complete," she added when asked if she was better now than when she lifted the trophy.
"It's obviously different competition. I think at the time I had probably more confidence at a higher level.
"That's something that I put myself in a position to play against these top players. I just have to break that through... I really want to make that step forward."
Since winning the French Open crown and rising to the top of the rankings that year, Ivanovic, who became a poster girl for the WTA Tour, has struggled to compete at the very top level.
She has reached only one grand slam quarter-final in the last five years, at the U.S. Open in 2012, and has not been past the fourth round at Roland Garros since claiming the Suzanne Lenglen cup.

Women's results:

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat 15-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-1 6-3

4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 14-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 6-2 6-4

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat 20-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 5-7 6-4 6-3

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 8-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-4 4-6 6-3

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic loses first set before going through in Paris

World number one Novak Djokovic overcame the loss of his first set of the tournament to advance to the French Open quarter-finals with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over 16th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber.
The top-seeded Serb opened up sluggishly as German Kohlschreiber fired on all cylinders.
Djokovic quickly regained control though, breaking early in each set and saving a few break points on the way to a somewhat uneventful victory.
He next faces German 12th seed Tommy Haas - who thrashed Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-1 6-1 6-3 - for a place in the semi-finals as he bids to land the trophy at Roland Garros for the first time.
Speaking in French to a courtside interviewer, Djokovic said: "It was tough for me today against an opponent who has the qualities to play well on clay.
"After the first set I played well. I'm satisfied."
Djokovic, who ended Rafa Nadal's eight-year reign on Monte Carlo clay last month, was broken in the fifth game as he became unsettled by Kohlschreiber's crosscourt backhand.
The German held firm, saving a break point with a forehand winner down the line before sealing the opening set with a sliced backhand that clipped the net.
Djokovic then found his range and despite his best efforts and a few exquisite drop shots, Kohlschreiber could not disrupt the six-times Grand Slam champion.
The 16th seed threatened with a few break points but Djokovic remained focused and saw them off with relative ease.
Kohlschreiber cancelled out one of two breaks in the fourth set and saved a match point with yet another crosscourt pass.
Djokovic then drilled a forehand winner to go through after producing some solid tennis.
Haas became the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final since 2005 with a 6-1 6-1 6-3 thrashing of Youzhny.
The 35-year-old former world number two, enjoying an Indian summer to his injury-hit career, left Youzhny smashing racquets in frustration as he cruised to victory in 84 minutes.
Andre Agassi was the last 35-year-old to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final at the 2005 US Open.
The evergreen German, who became the oldest Roland Garros quarter-finalist since Istvan Gulyas in 1971, will now take on world number one Novak Djokovic.
Haas tops a list of 30-somethings to reach the last eight after he joined a trio of 31-year-old campaigners - Roger Federer and Spanish warriors Tommy Robredo and David Ferrer - with his demolition job over Youzhny.
While it is the first time in 44 years that four men on the wrong side of 30 have made it so far at Roland Garros, the quartet have still some way to go if they are to match the feat of Australia's Ken Rosewall who won the last of his eight Grand Slam singles title aged 37.
"I think we all just are smarter, about how you train, about how you eat, about how you do your recovery," said 12th seed Haas.
"The physical and fitness areas have improved a lot in sports in general. I think that's why you see maybe more people also in the early, mid 30s doing well."
The German, who in the past 12 months has recorded wins over Federer and world number one Djokovic, appeared to resemble a player half his age as he blew Youzhny away on a blustery court.
A year after scratching the word "SORRY!" into the Roland Garros clay during a third-round bashing by Ferrer, the Russian suffered yet another meltdown and took out his frustrations by subjecting his racquet to an almighty battering.
Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack echoed around the arena - nine times in total - during a changeover as Youzhny reduced his racquet to a mangled mess by hammering it against his bench.
"It's bad luck for that racquet," summed up an unrepentant Youzhny, who has form.
In 2008 he was left with a bloodied face after he repeatedly whacked his racquet against his forehead and over the years has made his racquet sponsors work overtime to keep up with his never ending demands for replacements.
Haas broke his opponent seven times.
"Winning eight or nine games in a row can sometimes hurt a player because they start to struggle and start to think a lot, which I think was his case," said Haas.
"I just tried to maintain my level of play and focus and I did that really well today.
"He's done some crazy stuff in the past, you know, when he hit the racquet on his head. I was not hoping for that again, but... that was fun to see. I love that stuff."
Haas wrapped up the win to set up a possible quarter-final date with Djokovic, who is no stranger to some racquet -bashing himself after smashing a gaping hole into the courtside bench during his final defeat by Rafa Nadal 12 months ago.

 

[Smallville22]

Azarenka eases past Schiavone to reach quarter-finals

Women's third seed Victoria Azarenka screeched past Italian former champion Francesca Schiavone into the quarter-finals of the French Open, winning 6-3 6-0.
Neither player found any rhythm on serve with five consecutive breaks but once Azarenka found her range, she pulled away to advance to the last eight for a third time.
The discerning Parisian fans chose to turn a deaf year to the ear-splitting sounds that emitted out of Philippe Chatrier Court first thing in the morning, with the arena only a quarter full.
Over the years the Belarusian's sound effects have been compared to those made by jet liners or even women giving birth but with Schiavone also chipping in with her kung-fu style yelps, it was definitely not a contest for the purists.
It was only when a victorious Azarenka twirled around to blow kisses to the four corners of the court that fans started arriving - in anticipation of Novak Djokovic's meeting with Philipp Kohlschreiber.
From 3-3 in the opening set, Azarenka began to strike the ball with much greater power and Schiavone's challenge soon faded.
Double Australian Open champion Azarenka will face Maria Kirilenko next as she targets a first semi-final appearance at Roland Garros.
The 12th seeded Russian set up the last-eight date following a 7-5 6-4 win over American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
"I played Maria a lot of times," Azarenka said.
"She's definitely improved a lot over the last couple years since she's very motivated player."
Kirilenko has reached her first quarter-final at Roland Garros but is troubled by a shoulder injury.
"I think it's the cold and the heavy balls," she said.

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic convinced "second ******" is with him

Novak Djokovic will never hear Jelena Gencic's advice again, yet the world number one believes his second ******'s spirit will always be with him on court.
Following his French Open third-round match on Saturday, the Serbian broke down to news that his first coach had died aged 76. He recovered on Monday to down German Philipp Kohlschreiber in four sets and reach the quarter-finals.
"Jelena was my first coach, like my second ******," an emotional Djokovic told a news conference.
"We were very close throughout my whole life and she taught me a lot of things that are part of me, part of my character today.
"I know that her spirit will be always with me and always on the tennis court, because this is what she always loved to do."
It is the second time in just over a year that Djokovic has had to deal with the loss of someone close, having mourned the death of his grandfather in April 2012.
"In one way the experience that I had with my grandfather's passing away last year helped me a little bit to stay tough this time because it took me a long time last year to recover," he explained.
"It was very emotional. This year, of course, again, very close person, so another shock for me.
"But I'm handling it better. I'm trying to focus my thoughts on the nicest memories...that we had."
Tennis was all Gencic had, so Djokovic is looking to carry on her legacy.
"She worked with **** between five and six years to 12, 13 years-old and she was dedicating all her life to that generation and to tennis," he said.
"She never got married, she never had ****, so tennis was all she had in life. Hopefully I will be able to continue on and follow up where she stopped."

 

[Smallville22]

Birthday boy Nadal reaches last eight at Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal earned his second straight sets victory in succession as his challenge for an eighth French Open title gathered pace with a 6-4 6-1 6-2 defeat of Japan's Kei Nishikori to secure a quarter-final spot.
Troubled in his first two rounds where he had to come from a set back, third seed Nadal celebrated his 27th birthday in style with a ****** demolition of 13th seed Nishikori.
Only in the first set did Nishikori, looking to become only the second Japanese man to reach the last eight in Paris, offer any sort of challenge to the defending champion.
Nadal broke serve with the aid of a fortunate net cord in the fifth game of the opener and that proved enough for him to take the first set.
Nishikori had a glimmer of a chance when he had a break point in the second game of set two but failed to convert it and was broken in the next game when he flailed a high backhand volley into the tramlines.
From then on Nadal was in total command and finished the match by hooking a forehand winner down the line after a little over two hours before waving to the crowd as they sang happy birthday to the king of clay.
"To celebrate my birthday here on centre court in Paris is a very special moment for me," Nadal said courtside before a huge birthday cake was wheeled on to court.
"Today I played a bit better than in the previous days."
Nadal spent the first week labelling Paris "too cold", the Philippe Chatrier Court "too windy" and the playing schedule "a joke" after three wobbly performances but he was all smiles as the mercury finally crept over the 20 degrees Celsius mark for the first time in this year's event.
The Spaniard is bidding to become the first player to win the same major eight times.
Nadal will face Stanislas Wawrinka in the last eight after local favourite Richard Gasquet was a gallant loser yet again, bowing out 6-7(5) 4-6 6-4 7-5 8-6.
Gasquet, the seventh seed who has twice let slip two-set leads against Briton Andy Murray in Grand Slams, looked set to reach the last eight at a major for the second time after taking the first two sets in impressive fashion.
In 2007, Gasquet overcame a two-set deficit at Wimbledon to knock out Andy Roddick in his only Slam quarter-final appearance.
The Frenchman then suffered a cruel reversal of fortune, tripping at the last-16 hurdle 11 times.
"I know very well that after three-and-a-half hours I will be a bit tired," Gasquet, who strolled through the previous rounds and was poised to become the only man in the draw to reach the quarters without dropping a set, said.
"The match was not for me today, simply," the Frenchman said after a four-hour-16-minute dogfight featuring 149 winners and several impressive one-handed backhand exchanges.
"That's all I can do. I can't give more than I gave today. He played such incredible shots. It was incredible."
Wawrinka, who will play his first French Open quarter-final on Wednesday, spent much of the third set ranting after arguing with the umpire and asking him to replace a linesman but said there had been some great tennis midway through the fourth set.
"We played some incredible shots," he said.
"I was still OK (after three-and-a-half hours), still feeling good even though a bit slower."
France are now 3-0 down against Switzerland at this year's French Open after Roger Federer survived a major fright to beat Gilles Simon in five sets on Sunday, having eliminated Julien Benneteau in the third round.
Tension was high on Court Suzanne Lenglen as Gasquet, once dubbed the 'Mozart of tennis' saw off seven break points in his first two service games but held firm until the tiebreak, which he won 7-5 when Wawrinka sent a backhand return into the net.
Wawrinka, who won the Estoril claycourt tournament and reached the Madrid Masters final this year, called on the trainer at the changeover while trailing 3-0 in the second set and had his right thigh massaged.
Gasquet won the set but conceded a break, and perhaps some hope, to Wawrinka, although the Swiss appeared to let it slip when he lost his composure over a few close line calls.
The world number 10 fought back after calling on the umpire to replace a linesman after the third game of the third set.
"The ball's there and he says nothing, he says nothing. Replace him at the next changeover," said Wawrinka.
After the fifth game, Wawrinka shouted at the umpire again as a tournament official came on to the court: "Can you come please? I want to change the guy. How can he say fault?
"I want the next changeover to change. He cannot do that. That's not a small mistake, that's a big, big (mistake)."
Gasquet sought to calm down his opponent, urging him to "take it easy".
Wawrinka continued to fume throughout the third set, which he won with a forehand winner and took the fourth after some poor drop shots from Gasquet, who had just gone past his point of no return.
"I can't anymore, I can't," Gasquet said before the fifth set started, his face a mask of pain.
The Frenchman managed to stay in the contest thanks to sheer talent but Wawrinka eventually nailed it after saving two break points in the 10th game.

 

[Smallville22]

Solid Sharapova passes Stephens test

Maria Sharapova showed fast-rising American Sloane Stephens how it was done again to reach the French Open quarter-finals with a no-nonsense 6-4 6-3 victory.
The Russian was at her most clinical to seal a last-eight clash with old sparring partner Jelena Jankovic.
While Sharapova made her breakthrough in stunning fashion by winning Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004, Stephens's ascent has been more gradual and reaching the Australian Open semi-finals this year after beating Serena Williams has been the 20-year-old's standout moment.
"20 is the new 17," Sharapova said.
"I think she has a tremendous amount of potential.
"There's a lot of room for a few things to improve and I think she will. I think she has a big game. She has big strokes, a pretty good serve.
"If she's in the right hands at the right time, I'm sure she's gonna have a great career."
Defending champion Sharapova beat Stephens easily in Rome in the build-up to Roland Garros but Monday's clash was a more competitive affair with nothing to separate the players in the opening six games on Chatrier.
Sharapova then pounced as Stephens faltered on serve for the first time, converting her third break point.
Stephens did break Sharapova's serve in the second set but the Russian world number two responded with two of her own.
The only thing to worry Sharapova was the size of the birthday cake defending men's champion Rafa Nadal was presented with on court after his fourth-round win.
"I saw Nadal finish his match, and that was a pretty cool cake he received," said Sharapova who has started up her own candy company. "I was a little bit jealous.
"He's not 30 yet, he's 27. He gets that great cake."
Jankovic battered unseeded American Jamie Hampton 6-0 6-2 in the last match of the day.

 

[Smallville22]

Li Na added to Eastbourne field

World number six Li Na will warm-up for Wimbledon at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.
The 31-year-old is one of six of the world’s top 10 female players who will take to the courts at Devonshire Park for the tournament from June 15-22 as the game’s elite begin their final preparations for SW19.
Li, who lost in the final of the Australian Open in January, has twice made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in her career and the Chinese player is hoping for even better this year.
She said: “I am delighted to be heading back to the Aegon International after having such a good time when I was last in Eastbourne in 2011.
“It is great preparation for Wimbledon as the grass courts are immaculate, and the fans there are so knowledgeable about tennis.”
The 2011 French Open winner joins Agnieszka Radwańska, Sara Errani, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber in the field.
Britain’s Laura Robson and Heather Watson will be leading home hopes while last year’s champion Tamira Paszek will be returning to defend her title.
The men’s draw is headed by Juan Monaco, Gilles Simon and Philipp Kohlschreiber.

 

[Smallville22]

Serena extends winning streak to reach semis

Serena Williams extended her winning streak to 29 matches when she beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 3-6 6-3 in the French Open quarter-finals.
The world number one, the first American woman in the last four on the Paris clay since Jennifer Capriati in 2004, came back from the brink to continue her run towards a second French Open title.
The last four times 2002 champion Williams had reached the last eight at Roland Garros, she had been sent packing, in 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
Williams, who will face Italian Sara Errani in the semi-finals, would have been lying if she had said she had not thought about her recent record on the Paris clay when she was 2-0 down in the third set against Kuznetsova.
"That was just a brief, brief, brief, like fleeting thought," Williams, who was knocked out at this stage by Kuznetsova four years ago when the Russian went on to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup, said.
"And after that it was just, let's just play this match and let's just do the best that I can. Even though I was down I was still competing, so I couldn't necessarily dwell on the fact that I've lost so many quarter-final matches here."
Williams, who has won 15 Grand Slam titles but only one at Roland Garros, saw off three double break points in the decider and played some beautiful tennis to set up a meeting with fifth seed Errani, who beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 7-6(6).
After strolling through her first four rounds and the opening set, Williams came up against a streak of forehand winners from Kuznetsova.
The American fell 2-0 behind in the third before winning five games in a row, wrapping up victory with a forehand volley after nearly two hours of a see-saw contest.
"When I was serving at 0-2, I thought 'Can't go out like this again'," Williams said.
Kuznetsova huffed and puffed and looked in agony while Williams whizzed into a one-set lead in less than half an hour.
The Russian, unseeded in Paris for the first time since 2003 after a free fall in the rankings following a six-month knee-injury layoff, talked to herself and looked up to the sky.
She took a break to be treated off court by the trainer and everything changed.
"I taped my stomach stronger than I had before because it was ******* me and I couldn't serve," Kuznetsova, who has been suffering from an abdominal strain in Paris, said.
"I took a lot of pills and stuff. My serve didn't go up to its normal speed. I was serving like a grandmother. But still, at least I had a little bit less pain."
The string of forehand unforced errors suddenly turned into a series of forehand winners that more than once left Williams helpless.
The American conceded the first of three breaks of serve when she sent a backhand long, losing her range just as world number 39 Kuznetsova's shots started to land on the right side of the line.
One of eight forehand winners in the set gave Kuznetsova a 4-0 lead as the wind picked up on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Williams held only once, for 5-3, and she threatened to break in the ninth game, only for Kuznetsova to see off two break points with a second-serve ace and a finely-drilled forehand winner.
The Russian levelled the tie when the American failed to retrieve a cunning drop shot.
She quickly opened a 2-0 lead in the third set but Williams refused to let Kuznetsova drive the final nail into the coffin.
"Today I was so determined to get through that, and I really, really, really, really wanted it more than I think anyone," said Williams.
She saved three break points, won the game and never looked back.
"I did put her to the limit I think today, even without my serve," said Kuznetsova. "I was there, I was running as much as I could."
Kuznetsova needed crutches to move around a few months ago so was pleased with her efforts while returning serve, which saw her take the second set.
"Against Serena, it's a bit complicated to play like that. And still it was very even and I had my chances," she said.
As painful as the experience was, the Russian still enjoyed her time on Court Suzanne Lenglen, after going through some rough times in the past months.
"I was looking in the crowd and thinking that I was lying back with my broken knee in my bed and thinking, 'I don't want to play US Open, I'm so tired'," she explained.
"I could not even walk. I was with crutches all the time.
"I was extremely pleased with the way I performed here, and I just need to keep going the same way."

 

[Smallville22]

Errani battles past Radwanska

Sara Errani proved her run to last year's French Open final was no fluke as she toppled Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 7-6 (6) to reach the semi-finals.
The Italian fifth seed secured her first ever win over a top-five player to book a semi-final date with Serena Williams, who later beat Svetlana Kuznetsova.
There is something about feeling the soft clay under her soles that makes Errani stand 10 feet tall at Roland Garros.
A year after reaching her debut Grand Slam final, Errani once again proved that her small stature would not stall her from chasing her dreams in a sport awash with powerfully built athletes.
However, if Errani wants to fulfil her lifelong goal of lifting the Suzanne Lenglen Cup, she will have to stop an unstoppable ***** when she meets Williams in the semi-finals. The American world number one is currently on a 29-match winning streak.
On Tuesday, though, Errani was all smiles.
"I knew it would be a battle against Agnieszka and I was ready for that. It's unbelievable. There was a lot of pressure this year but I made it good," fifth seed Errani said.
A quarter-final showdown between the world's fourth and fifth best players should have been played out in front of a full house on Philippe Chatrier Court but as has become a common sight at this year's tournament, battle commenced in front of rows and rows of empty seats.
Errani's prolific work ethic this year - her 81 matches are almost double that of anyone else in the top 10 - paid off as she flummoxed Radwanska with an array of ferocious forehands, delightful dropshots and luscious lobs.
Radwanska accessorised her pink and maroon dress with a colour co-ordinated foot long plaster along her thigh. While there seemed to be nothing wrong with her movement, the same could not be said about her body language.
She looked irritated after an Errani netcord trickled over, slapped her racquet after producing a double fault on break point, and sucked her cheeks in when yet another unforced error flew off her racquet.
The second set alone featured eight breaks and although Radwanska won the point of the match - a 27-shot rally on Errani's first match point - the Italian was not about to let victory slip through her slender fingers.
Moments later Errani was tossing her racquet into the air and raising her arms in triumph after Radwanska whipped a backhand into the tramlines.

 

[Smallville22]

Ruthless Ferrer crushes Robredo to reach semi-finals

There was no escape this time for comeback king Tommy Robredo as he lost an all-Spanish French Open quarter-final against ruthless fourth seed David Ferrer 6-2 6-1 6-1.
The 31-year-old had recovered two-set deficits in all three of his previous rounds at Roland Garros but Ferrer was rock solid as he thrashed his countryman in one hour 25 minutes.
Ferrer was all over Robredo from the start, producing a near-perfect display to reach the semi-finals for the second successive year.
Ferrer has conceded only 36 games in five rounds.
"Playing with a guy like David, who is a machine, is very tough," Robredo said.
Ferrer now faces home favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in his first Grand Slam final after the French sixth seed beat Roger Federer 7-5 6-3 6-3.
There is a growing feeling that after years of dogged persistence the Valencia native can reach a major final.
With world number two Andy Murray missing, Ferrer was bumped up to fourth seed from his world ranking of five and, luckily for him, he was placed in the other side of the draw to undisputed claycourt king Rafael Nadal.
Even Tsonga's straight-sets win over Federer appears to have loaded the dice in Ferrer's favour as he has a morale-sapping 0-14 career record against Federer but does lead Tsonga.
Ferrer is not one for hyperbole, however, and, despite his hot form, defends himself against overly inflated expectations, just as he does his baseline.
"Today all players reaching this level in a tournament, to me, are at the same level. So I don't want to think about it. I want to make it as far as possible," he said.
He was asked: was it a good draw?
"I don't know. I have to win all my matches. It's difficult," he said.
"But I do realise it's not the first round of a small tournament. It's a semi-final. But I'm not going to start dreaming and celebrate before it's time."
"It's just one more match I have to play in my career."