Easy for Coria as Henman fights back to make last eight for first time

TITLE favourite Guillermo Coria reached the quarter-finals of the French Open on Sunday without breaking sweat while British comeback king Tim Henman had to battle down to the wire to make the last eight for the first time.

Third seed Coria, the top ranked player left after the defeat of Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, was leading Nicolas Escude 6-0 in his fourth round match when the Frenchman retired with an injured shoulder after just 25 minutes.

He now goes on to face either 1998 champion Carlos Moya or Tommy Robredo, both of Spain, for a place in the semi-finals.

In the women’s draw Serena and Venus Williams moved effortlessly closer to a possible semi-final showdown while Russian trio Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina also booked quarter-final places along with Jennifer Capriati.

Coria said he was surprised that Escude gave up.

“It was an amazing match because I was so surprised to see the trainer come on at 3-0 after just 10 minutes,” said the 22-year-old.

In a dramatic contrast, ninth seeded Henman came back from two sets down for the second time in the tournament and saved a match point to defeat France’s last hope Michael Llodra after 4hr 11min on the Suzanne Lenglen Court.

Henman next plays Juan Ignacio Chela, the 22nd seed from Argentina who defeated Olivier Mutis of France 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

“For an hour and 49 minutes I was playing the wrong way and that’s not a great sign, but to come through it and find a way to win, it’s character building that’s for sure,” said Henman.

The 2002 champion Albert Costa lost his third round match to Belgium’s Xavier Malisse.

The Spanish 26th seed wasted two match points in the fourth set to go down to a 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 8-6 defeat to Malisse who now takes on Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt in Monday’s fourth round.

In the women’s event there was better news for the home nation as third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo enjoyed a 6-2, 6-1 win over Bulgarian 21st seed Magdalena Maleeva.

Mauresmo now faces Russian ninth seed Dementieva, who put out America’s fifth seeded Lindsay Davenport, for a place in the semi-finals.

“I was surprised by her score against Davenport,” said Mauresmo who has now equalled her best performance here having made the last eight in 2003.

“She is a player I know quite well. I have to make sure she does not take the initiative.”

The Williams sisters moved menacingly into the last eight.

Second seed Serena, the champion in here in 2002, crushed Japan’s Shinobu Asagoe 6-3, 6-1 to set up a last eight clash against seventh seed Jennifer Capriati of the United States.

Fourth seed Venus had a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) win over Fabiola Zuluaga, the 23rd seed from Colombia and will next meet Russia’s Anastasia Myskina, the sixth seed.

Dementieva and Sharapova took huge steps towards ending Russia’s long wait for a French Open women’s champion by joining Myskina in the last eight.

Sharapova, the 18th seed, now takes on 14th seeded Argentinian Paola Suarez who ended China’s Zheng Jie’s run to the last 16.