Dinara Safina (AFP Photo / Bertrand Guay)
Safina marches on in Paris
Published 29 May, 2009, 19:43
Roland Garros defending champion Ana Ivanovic and world number one Dinara Safina are safely through to the last sixteen in the Paris tournament.
Ana comfortably beat Czech Iveta Benesova 6-0, 6-2 Friday afternoon. The eighth-seeded Serb was never really in danger against Benesova, who did manage to convert one break point, but that was the best she could do, as a resurgent Ivanovic made it through to the last 16 for the fourth time in five years.
Meanwhile, top seed Dinara Safina destroyed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in an all-Russian clash 6-2, 6-0.
Fellow Russian Maria Sharapova staged one more of her stellar trademark comebacks, winning a three set thriller against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. The former tennis queen is now also through to the last 16.
Also on Friday, Hungary's Agnes Szavay produced the biggest upset of the day. The 29th seed humbled world number three Venus Williams, and did it comprehensively too: 6-0, 6-4.
In the men’s, world number four Novak Djokovic has sealed a spot in the third round. He finished off his match against Ukraine's Sergey Stakhovsky, which was suspended yesterday because of bad light.
Russia's top player Nikolay Davydenko is also through to the next round. The tenth-seed beat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in four sets.
Meanwhile men's number one Rafael Nadal has outplayed former number one Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, securing his place in the last sixteen.
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