PARIS, 29 May 2004 — Marat Safin spent 24 minutes finishing off Felix Mantilla at the French Open yesterday, finally beating the Spaniard 11-9 in the fifth set of a match that spanned two days. Sporting an unusual look reminiscent of Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, the mustachioed Russian eventually triumphed 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7, 11-9 to reach the third round of the claycourt grand slam.
Safin’s colorful antics throughout the theatrical match — it resumed at 7-7 yesterday — contrasted with Guillermo Coria’s straightforward victory over Croatian Mario Ancic, the third-seeded Argentine winning 6-3 6-1, 6-2. A strong favorite for the title, Coria will next face Nicolas Escude for a place in the quarters. The Frenchman beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 7-5, 6-7, 6-2.
In the women’s draw Lindsay Davenport advanced comfortably, beating Marissa Irvin 6-1, 6-4 before allowing herself to look deeper into the draw. “You know, I know the players that give me problems,” the fifth seed said. “I know who’s left in the tournament. It’s all in the back of my mind.”
With world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne knocked out of the tournament, No. 2 Kim Clijsters missing through injury and the Williams sisters Venus and Serena under-par, Davenport knows this is an ideal chance to win the only grand slam title missing from her collection. “I couldn’t imagine the feelings that that would bring out if I were to win here,” the 27-year-old smiled.
Davenport is on track for a quarterfinal against France’s Amelie Mauresmo. Home favorite Mauresmo dispatched Spain’s Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-3, 6-2. The third seed gave a confident display in front of a packed center court crowd, wrapping up victory in 67 minutes.
Mauresmo recorded her best Roland Garros performance so far by reaching the quarters last year and faces Magdalena Maleeva in round four. “It’s getting better and better,” said Mauresmo. “It was a tough beginning to the match. I was a little bit slow in the first three games. I didn’t really know her game.
“But then I found my rhythm and I played better and better. In the second set I was really good.” Briton Tim Henman played a dream of a match to hammer Spain’s Galo Blanco 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 and move into the last 16 for the first time on his ninth visit here. “In the past when I got to the third round here I was really excited that I won a couple of matches at the French,” Henman said. “But the state that my game is in now and the way I am playing I think I want much more out of it.”
Henman will play unseeded Frenchman Michael Llodra for a place in the quarterfinals. The Briton has never gone beyond round four at any grand-slam event outside of Wimbledon. Fifth seed Carlos Moya of Spain cantered through against Dutchman Raemon Sluiter 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.
The 22-year-old Coria, the No. 3 seed, showed no signs of the abdominal strain that hampered him earlier in the season as he took total control of his tie against Ancic. “I’m really pleased to have won as quickly as that in a match that didn’t look that easy as it means I will stay fresher physically,” said the player known at home as El Mago (The Magician).
Russia’s Maria Sharapova stormed through to the fourth round with an impressive 6-3, 7-6 victory over 10th seed Vera Zvonareva. The 17-year-old Siberian, seeded 18th, blasted past her fellow Russian, who beat Venus Williams en route to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year.
Florida-based Sharapova faces unseeded German Marlene Weingaertner for a place in the quarterfinals. “The joy just comes from knowing that you’ve played a solid game and knowing that you’re at Roland Garros playing on Philippe Chatrier (center) court and you’ve just won,” she said.
Weingaertner provided the early shock of the day when she ousted eighth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 6-3, 6-2. Petrova, a semifinalist last year, made 29 unforced errors. Weingaertner reached the fourth round here for the first time.
Meanwhile, Safin accused tennis chiefs of destroying the sport after he was penalized a point for dropping his shorts during his marathon second round win over Mantilla.
The former world No. 1 was docked a penalty point for the incident by umpire Carlos Bernardes after he chose to celebrate a crucial point in the fourth set by pulling down his shorts in the match late Thursday.
