PARIS: Defending champion Maria Sharapova reached the French Open last-16 on Friday although she appeared on the verge of tears at the end of her straight-sets win over Samantha Stosur.

The world No.2 made the fourth round for the 11th time with a 6-3, 6-4 win over the 26th seeded Australian.

It was the Russian’s 15th win in 17 matches against Stosur who she defeated in a three-set Paris marathon last year.

“I knew it would be a tough match today,” said the 28-year-old Sharapova.

“But when I come out on to this court all the great memories come flooding back for me.”

Sharapova, also the champion in 2012 and runner-up in 2013, goes on to face Czech 13th seed Lucie Safarova for a place in the quarterfinals.

Safarova made the fourth round for the third time by beating big-serving German Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 7-6 (7/2).

Sharapova has a 4-1 record over the 28-year-old Czech whose only win came in the pair’s first meeting in Madrid five years ago.

Former champion Ana Ivanovic reached the last 16 in just 53 minutes.

The Serbian seventh seed, the 2008 winner in Paris, triumphed over 18-year-old Croatian opponent Donna Vekic 6-0, 6-3.

Makarova reached the last-16 for the second time by defeating doubles partner and best friend Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-4.

“I hate having to play my best friend,” admitted the 26-year-old left-hander. “It’s not a good feeling.”

Alize Cornet, the 29th seeded Frenchwoman, needed two and a half hours to defeat 33-year-old Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a match scarred by 85 unforced errors.

Svitolina defeated fellow former French Open junior champion Annika Beck of Germany 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Spanish 21st seed Garbine Muguruza, who beat Serena Williams on her way to the quarterfinals in 2014, knocked out German 11th seed Angelique Kerber 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Swiss pair Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka both eased into the last 16.

Second-seeded Federer, whose sole title win in Paris came in 2009, reached the fourth round for the 11th straight year with a straightforward 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Bosnian Damir Dzumhur.

Former Australian Open champion Wawrinka blasted past American Steve Johnson, while Simon saw off a tough challenge from fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1.

Gasquet, a former Wimbledon semifinalist and world top tenner, finally saw off the challenge of Argentine claycourter Carlos Berlocq 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 after the match had been suspended overnight at two sets all.

His reward is a third round tie against South African Kevin Anderson.

Also into the last 16 — for the second time in his career — was Georgian-born Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili who was too good for Czech player Lukas Rosol, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

He will next play Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who moved through when third round opponent Benjamin Becker withdrew from the tournament with a shoulder injury.