Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova needed just three games today to advance to the quarter-finals of the French Open.
The Russian second seed had led Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-2 3-3 when play was halted yesterday due to rain. Resuming on a windswept Court Suzanne Lenglen, Sharapova reeled off the three games required to advance 6-2 6-3.
"I guess it was good just to have a good night's sleep," the 18-year-old said. She will now play either Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne for a spot in the semi-finals.
"I think I've been playing a lot better in my last two rounds than I did in my first two," Sharapova said.
"I've actually been feeling a lot better. I know it's definitely going to be a tough match either way. You have to expect the best.
"You know, hopefully I'll go out and just be even tougher and play even better than I have. That's the only way to go."
The powerful baseliner knows that whoever she meets is going to try to grind her down on the slow Roland Garros clay.
"It's going to depend on the conditions," she said. "If the conditions are going to be heavier, a lot of the points are going to be long.
"I feel fit enough to be able to do that. It's just a matter of mentally going out there and doing it.
"I think I'm getting better and better. I've said this before... If people underestimate me on clay then they'll be surprised," she grinned.
Henin-Hardenne outgunned Russian sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 4-6 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals and book a showdown with Sharapova.
The Belgian, champion here in 2003, saved a match point in the third set against one of the biggest hitters in the women's game. She held her nerve to clinch victory against the US Open champion after more than three hours.
Henin-Hardenne, who has won 21 consecutive matches, pinched an error-strewn first set after Kuznetsova wasted a set point but she looked to be slipping to defeat as she came under a fierce barrage in blustery conditions.
Kuznetsova held a match point at 5-3 in the decider, narrowly missing a backhand with her opponent stranded. That miss proved decisive as the former world number one stormed back to win the last four games and set up a showdown with Sharapova.
Meanwhile, Serbia's Ana Ivanovic reached the last eight by defeating Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.
She will play seventh seeded Russian Nadia Petrova for a place in the semi-finals.
