Mauresmo dumped, Serena sails through

She came into the Australian Open unheralded after winning only one match in her previous six Grand Slam appearances but showed her potential in 2006 with wins over top 10 players Dinara Safina, Patty Schnyder and Nicole Vaidisova.

She came out aggressively against Mauresmo, forcing the Frenchwoman to be on the defensive from her very first service game. The Frenchwoman defended two match points off her own serve but hit a wild forehand return to give Safarova another chance. It was enough for the determined Czech, who blasted back a powerful return that Mauresmo hit into the net to give her the biggest scalp of her career.

In another upset, Israeli teenager Shahar Peer defeated Russian third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-2. The 16th seed broke the Russian8217;s serve three times in a scrappy opening set, and even a rain break while she was serving at 4-2 in the second failed to disrupt her concentration as she went on to win in an hour and 17 minutes.

Peer, who became the first Israeli woman to reach the quarter final of a Grand Slam, will face Serena Williams. The unseeded American lnocked out 11th seed Serb Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-2.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner8217;s latest match on the comeback trail from injury included a deft pirouette to reach a half-volley and slam a winner, and lots of running during several long baseline rallies. Asked how it felt to have her body respond to what her brain asked it to do, she replied: 8220;Awesome. I had long talk with my body, and we agreed that if you get through these tournaments I8217;ll give them surprises.8221; Like what? 8220;Dresses or something, shoes.8221;

Williams, the 2005 Australian Open winner, returned to defend her title last year but lost in the third round. She took six months off with a nagging left knee problem, returning for the US Open, where she lost in the fourth round.

Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova fought off a tough challenge from Ashley Harkleroad of America, surviving a first-set loss to win this match 6-7 6, 7-5, 6-3. Ninth seed Dinara Safina could win just four games in a 2-6, 2-6 loss to Li Na of China. On the men8217;s side, American Andy Roddick is into the quarter finals of the year8217;s first Grand Slam against someone he considers to be a brother after a high-class five-set shoot-out with Mario Ancic.

Roddick, seeded six, confronted by the aggressive net-charging Croatian, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in just over three hours and will now play American compatriot Mardy Fish.

It is Roddick8217;s fourth quarter final appearance at the Australian Open and places him just a match away from a potential semi-final with world number one and his great nemesis Roger Federer.

His greater consistency and patience was the key to beating the aggressive Ancic. He broke the Croat8217;s serve five times and dropped his own three times. Ancic out-hit Roddick 60 winners to 52, but Roddick8217;s committed far less errors, 19 to Ancic8217;s 33.

Roddick got his decisive service break against Ancic in the fifth game of the final set as the net-rushing Croatian committed two crucial forehand errors. Roddick comfortably served out for the match and held three match points, winning it on his second with a backhand winner on the line.

8220;Win or lose I had to turn the tables on his aggression,8221; Roddick said. 8220;I was able to at least get in the points in the fifth set and have a chance at him making an error. 8220;I just put the ball in the court, that helped. He missed a couple of volleys maybe he wouldn8217;t normally miss.8221;

Top seed Roger Federer cruised to a 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 win over Serb Novak Djokovic. He plays Tommy Robredo of Spain in the quarter finals .