Robredo digs deep to send ‘unlucky’ Safin crashing out

MARAT Safin claimed he was deserted by Lady Luck as he crashed out of the French Open following a five-set, fourth-round thriller with 15th seed Tommy Robredo.

Despite twice fighting back from a set down and then back from a serve down in the fifth set, the third-seeded Russian was unable to push on for victory against his Spanish opponent, who showed great resolve to finally record a 7-5 1-6 6-1 4-6 8-6 victory.

“It’s pure luck that made the difference in the end,” said Safin.

“It could have gone my way. But I struggled, nothing went the way I wanted. He played very well, of course, but I was missing a little something.”

Safin, who has not impressed since winning the Australian Open in January, admits he still hopes to win at Roland Garros in the future.

“I have no pressure here but this is one of my favourite tournaments,” he added.

Robredo reached the quarter-final in Paris in 2003 but has otherwise never gone beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam event.

Fourth seed and Spanish prodigy Rafael Nadal, who is playing at the French Open for the first time, booked his place in the quarter-finals after an action-packed victory against home favourite and 23rd seed Sebastien Grosjean.

Their match started on Sunday before being interrupted by rain when Nadal was leading 6-4 3-6 3-0.

The teenager easily finished off the job yesterday, winning the third set 6-0 before wrapping up the match 6-3 in the fourth.

However, Nadal hit out at the behaviour of the French fans, who he believes caused him to lose the second set on Sunday evening.

The start of the second set was interrupted for 10 minutes when Argentinian umpire Damien Steiner refused to check a debatable call that led to Nadal breaking the French player’s serve, and the crowd started booing.

Grand Slam supervisor Norbert Peick intervened and had a quick chat with Steiner, who stood by his decision, and the game finally resumed.

But Nadal, who claims he has never experienced such an incident before, admitted the stoppage had affected him.

Ninth seed Guillermo Canas of Argentina had an easy fourth round as his opponent, Germany’s Nicolas Kieffer, pulled out before the start of the match with a pinched nerve in his neck, causing pain in his right arm.

Canas now faces unseeded Argentinian Mariano Puerta, who thrashed his compatriot Jose Acasuso in straight sets 6-4 6-1 6-1.

Justine Henin-Hardenne is confident she can beat world number two Maria Sharapova in the last eight after an impressive display against sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round.

The 22-year-old Belgian, the former world number one who won at Roland Garros two years ago before enduring a nightmare 2004 season because of glandular fever, fought back from 5-3 down in the final set to record a 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 7-5 win over her Russian opponent.

Henin-Hardenne, who was suffering from a slight back injury throughout, saved two match points on her own serve when she was trailing 5-4.

She then broke Kuznetsova to take a 6-5 lead before taking the first of her three match points when her opponent’s return was wide.

“This was a miracle for me today,” Henin-Hardenne said after her victory.

“I had the strength to hold on even if I did not play good tennis.”

Sharapova stormed past Spain’s Nuria Llagostera Vives in straight sets 6-2 6-3 to progress to the quarter-finals.

The 18-year-old Russian had few problems winning the match, which had started on Sunday but was interrupted by the rain when she was leading 6-3 3-3.

The current Wimbledon title holder, Sharapova is not well known for her record on clay but she insists she is gradually mastering the red surface ahead of her last eight encounter with Henin-Hardenne.

“I don’t think I need to prove anything to anyone about my level on clay but I am certainly getting better and better,” said Sharapova.

Serbia & Montenegro’s Ana Ivanovic, the 29th seed who ousted world number three Amelie Mauresmo in the third round, defeated 22nd seed Francesca Schiavone from Italy 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 to book her place in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.

She will face Russian seventh seed Nadia Petrova.