French Open 2015: Serena Williams survives Stephens' scare, makes it to quarterfinal

Paris: Defending champion Maria Sharapova was sent packing from the French Open at the fourth-round stage on Monday, but top seed Serena Williams survived a scare to seal her quarterfinal place.

Sharapova, seeded two, was beaten in straight sets 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 by Lucie Safarova, the 13th seed from the Czech Republic who will now meet Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the last eight.

Serena, meanwhile, lost the first set against compatriot Sloane Stephens on the same Court Philippe Chatrier but came back to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 and set up a quarterfinal clash with Sara Errani of Italy.

Sharapova, who also won the clay-court Grand Slam event in 2012 and was the beaten finalist in 2013, had been forced to wait until Monday morning for her clash with Safarova, which had been postponed on Sunday due to rain in the French capital.

But on a bright Paris morning the Russian second seed, who was looking to become the first woman to successfully defend the French Open title since Justine Henin in 2007, was punished for an erratic display from beginning to end.

Sharapova was broken in her second service game, and although she soon broke back, Safarova claimed the opening set in the tiebreak. Breaks were again exchanged in the second set but Sharapova found herself serving to stay in the match at 5-4 down, and while she saved one match point she could not save the second that came her opponent’s way.

In contrast, Serena kept alive her hopes of winning a third French Open title and a 20th Grand Slam crown, but only after another sluggish opening to her match. 

Just as against Anna-Lena Friedsam and Victoria Azarenka in the previous two rounds, Williams lost the opening set 1-6. Sloane had beaten Venus Williams in the first round and was looking to become the fourth player to beat both the famous sisters at the same Grand Slam after Martina Hingis, Henin and Kim Clijsters at the US open in 2009.

Rafa to face Djoker in quarters:

Defending champion Rafael Nadal clinched his 70th win at Roland Garros on Monday when a 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over America’s Jack Sock put him into the quarterfinals.

Nine-times champion Nadal will face world number one Novak Djokovic, who brushed aside Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer and Andy Murray also swept into the quarterfinals. Second seed Federer, the 2009 champion, made the last eight for the 11th time with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over France’s Gael Monfils and goes on to face Davis Cup-winning teammate Stan Wawrinka.

British third seed Murray ended the hopes of another home player, seeing off unseeded Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. He will next take on seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer.

Federer raced through the final two sets on Monday in just over an hour after the last-16 tie was delicately poised at a set apiece when it was suspended in the chilly gloom of Sunday evening.

“I feel fresh and pumped up to be back in the quarterfinals again after missing out last year,” said Federer, who was beaten by Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 in 2014. Monfils, a semifinalist in 2008, was nowhere near his swashbuckling best on Monday, slipping to a break down in the first game of both sets.

Federer will take a 16-2 career advantage over Wawrinka into Tuesday’s quarterfinal, including a win on clay in Rome earlier this month. 

Murray, twice a semifinalist in Paris, will face 2013 runner-up Ferrer for a place in the last four although Chardy, the world number 45, gave him plenty to of fight.