Defending champion Maria Sharapova’s bid for a third French Open title in four years is over.
Coughing between points on an overcast day, the second-seeded Sharapova was outplayed throughout a 7-6 (3), 6-4 loss to 13th-seeded lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round on Monday.
It is her earliest defeat at Roland Garros since 2010, when she was beaten in the third round. Since then, the Russian won the clay-court Grand Slam tournament in 2012 and 2014, was the runner-up to Serena Williams in 2013, and reached the semifinals in 2011.
The left-handed Safarova wound up with a considerable edge in winners, 34-20, including forehands on the last two points to break Sharapova.
In her first French Open quarterfinal, Safarova will face No. 21 Garbine Muguruza of Spain, who beat No. 28 Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-3, 6-4.
Federer, whose record 17 Grand Slam titles include the 2009 French Open, needed only about an hour to finish off his 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over 13th-seeded Gael Monfils of France in a match that was suspended because of darkness after the second set Sunday night.
In truth, this one might have been over after the very first game when they resumed: Monfils led 40-love, then tried to showboat a little and got broken. Federer broke to open the fourth set, too, en route to his 11th Roland Garros quarterfinal, where he’ll play Swiss Davis Cup teammate Stan Wawrinka.
Sharapova, a five-time major champion who completed her career Grand Slam in Paris three years ago, started things off at a mostly empty Court Philippe Chatrier. Years ago, Sharapova famously described herself as a “cow on ice” when playing on red clay, troubled by the tricky footing. But she overcame that well enough to win 65 of her last 71 matches on the surface entering on Monday.
For the third match in a row at the French Open, Serena Williams was oddly out of sorts at the outset and dropped the opening set. And for the third match in a row, almost as though this was the plan all along, Williams righted herself to pull out a victory.
In a riveting, two-hour showdown between the last two American women in the draw, the No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Williams was a game away from defeat Monday, then came back to beat Sloane Stephens 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Williams reached the quarterfinals and avoided joining defending champion Maria Sharapova on the way out of Roland Garros.
Close as it was, thanks in large part to Williams’ 43 unforced errors, more than twice as many as Stephens’ 21, the eventual outcome seemed certain once Williams pulled even by taking the second set. That’s because she is 10-0 in three-setters this season.
Nadal eliminated the last U.S. man, Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, while Djokovic had no trouble in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over Richard Gasquet.
Andy Murray overcame a partisan crowd and Frenchman Jeremy Chardy’s strong resistance to remain unbeaten on clay this season and reach the last eight at theFrench Open for the fifth time.
The third-seeded Murray was whistled and booed several times in his 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win but stayed cool to set up a quarterfinal against David Ferrer, runner-up at the French in 2013. David Ferrer is on the short side for a tennis player, but he stands very tall on clay. The French Open runner-up in 2013 breezed past U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic (6-foot-6; 1.98 meters) 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. Ferrer, seeded seventh, next plays Andy Murray in his quarter-final match.
Results
Men’s Singles: Andy Murray beat Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Roger Federer beat Gael Monfils 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6; David Ferrer beat Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; Rafael Nadal beat Jack Sock 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2; Novak Djokovic beat Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.
Women’s Singles: Garbine Muguruza beat Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-4; lucie Safarova beat Maria Sharapova 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Serena Williams beat Sloane Stephens 1-6, 7-5, 6-3; Sara Errani beat Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-2; Alison van Uytvanck beat Andreea Mitu 6-1, 6-3.