Boos greet Venus exit

Venus Williams left Court Philippe Chatrier to a sprinkling of boos as Vera Zvonareva ended one of the most historic runs in world tennis tonight and set up an all-Russian quarter final.

The 18-year-old from Moscow defeated Williams 2-6 6-2 6-4 to break the domination of the most famous sister act in sport.

It means there will be no all-Williams final at a Grand Slam for the first time since the Australian Open in January 2002.

But there will be a Russian in the semi-final after 20-year-old Nadia Petrova kept the seeds tumbling with an epic 3-6 6-4 6-3 triumph against Jennifer Capriati.

However, the reception Zvonareva received and Williams suffered after her fourth round match suggested the French crowd, doubtless along with the rest of tennis, believed it was a result which could only be good for the game.

In truth, Williams was a shadow of the woman who won back-to-back titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2000 and 2001.

And Zvonareva took full advantage, scrambling for every point and exposing a flurry of errors on the Williams forehand.

Williams later insisted she was unconcerned with the hostile reception she received from a small section of the French fans at the end.

“I hope at least they had some entertainment today,” said Williams. “I did what I could today. What else can I do? I’m very disappointed, I was just really off today. I just had a tough time keeping the balls in.”

Zvonereva, meanwhile, showed all the coolness we have come to expect from Russian girls at Grand Slams. And later she seemed underwhelmed by all the attention.

“It’s a big win but the tournament still continues,” said Zvonareva. “My next match is on Tuesday and I’ve got to forget about this, go on to the next game and try to play my next game again.”

Venus’ sister Serena had a better day, the number one seed staying on course to land her fifth successive Grand Slam by beating Japan’s Ai Sugiyama 7-5 6-3 and setting up a quarter-final against Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo.

Serena reckons the only person capable of beating her is herself.

“That’s definitely 100% accurate,” she replied when that thought was posed to her this afternoon. “All the matches I’ve lost I’ve pretty much beaten myself. It’s not like I went out and did everything I could have done and played great or was just amazing.

“It’s been that way for a couple of years now. Whenever I lose it’s not because the girl I lost to just played an outstanding match, it’s normally because I’m making 80 errors, just not doing the things I need to do.”

They are the sort of immodest comments not designed to endear Williams to the rest of the women on tour but they do carry a ring of truth, even if Mauresmo did beat her for the first time in Rome last month.

Mauresmo had no problems edging past Spain’s Magui Serna 6-1 6-2, after which the French number five seed admitted she is in the best Grand Slam form of her career.

“Beating her (Serena) for the first time was an important step,” said Mauresmo. “It gives you confidence. If she plays her best tennis ever with no mistakes I cannot win. But she cannot do that every day all year long.”

Serena was certainly nowhere near her best against Sugiyama.

“I’m going to have to play a bit better than I did today,” said Williams. “I’m a little upset with myself and I’m definitely going to be more focused in the next round, try some different things, just be more positive.

“Not only is she (Mauresmo) playing well but she’s riding on confidence as well. She’s definitely going to have the crowd on her side and all those factors. But I’m just going to go out there and do my best and really enjoy myself.

“I played her at home in the indoors earlier this year. I was pumped up then. In a way it does definitely get me motivated, gets me going.

“I’ve played in the most hostile arenas possible so it definitely won’t bother me at all.”

Belgium’s Justine Henin-Hardenne celebrated her 21st birthday with a 6-3 2-6 6-2 victory against Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder and then turned up the heat on the Roland Garros organisers.

With the mercury hovering around the 30 degrees mark the number four seed was upset that the tournament does not allow a heat break at the end of the second set in women’s matches.

“It is very hot,” said Henin-Hardenne. “In Roland Garros they refuse that we use the heat rule. I explained that this rule gives you 10-minute break.

“They refuse to accept this rule in Roland Garros. It’s a shame because it can create cases of injuries. It is not the best possible conditions for the players.”

In Tuesday’s quarter-final Henin-Hardenne plays America’s Chanda Rubin who struggled from a set down against Hungary’s Petra Mandula 4-6 6-2 7-5.

Number two seed Kim Clijsters, meanwhile, was caught cold on such a hot day, losing the first set 6-0 before coming back to win the next two comfortably 6-2 6-1 against Bulgaria’s Magdalena Maleeva.

Clijsters now meets former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez who took her place in the quarters courtesy of a nerve problem in a foot which forced sixth seed Lindsay Davenport to retire at 2-0 down in the second set, having already lost the first 6-4.