Radek’s up to the task

Maria Sharapova led a trio of Russians into the last 16 of the French Open on Saturday while men’s top seed Roger Federer booked his fourth round place with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Croatia’s Mario Ancic.

Italian Karin Knapp collapsed 7-6, 6-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier, handing Sharapova a fourth round spot. Dinara Safina, Sharapova’s next opponent, stepped up to the plate to extinguish Asia’s faint hopes of a champion with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over China Zheng Jie.

Pale imitation

Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2006 runner-up, bulldozed her way past Nadia Petrova, the 25th seed who looked a pale imitation of the player that twice reached the last four here. Petrova lost 6-2, 6-1 in just 69 minutes.

The fourth seed now faces Belarus teenager Victoria Azarenka, who reached the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Italy’s 18th seed Francesca Schiavone. Third seed Jelena Jankovic needed three games to complete a 7-5, 6-3 win against Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova, halted in fading light on Friday.

Ferrer outlasts Hewitt

Ferrer reached the last 16 for a second time after a bruising three hour 35 minute dogfight with former world number one Hewitt. The Australian outslugged Ferrer for large parts of their encounter before finally succumbing 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Robby Ginepri was busy dispelling the notion that the chances of an American winner went with the exit of the Williams sisters on Friday. Ginepri became the first man from the US to reach the last 16 since Andre Agassi in 2003 when he dispatched France’s Florent Serra 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Chilean dasher Fernando Gonzalez, the 24th seed, came back from the brink to end the hopes of Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.