Maria Sharapova briefly strained, but Ana Ivanovic never broke a sweat as two of the top seeds in the bottom half of the draw charged into the fourth round on Saturday.
Sharapova registered a 6-1, 6-4 win over obscure Russian Alla Kudryavtseva, while Ivanovic punched out Romanian Ioana Olaru 6-2, 6-0.
Third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova also got through, rolling over Dominica Cibulkova 6-2, 6-3.
Playing in just her second tournament since March, Sharapova moved well during a dry and sunny day on Court Philippe Chatrier, playing standout defence and pushing her foe around the court.
Kudryavtseva briefly rallied in the second set when her hard ground strokes began to find the lines, but Sharapova rebounded from a 1-4 deficit by mixing up the direction of her shots.
“I figured her out pretty quickly," Sharapova said. “I think I played a pretty solid first set, but I had a little bit of a letdown. It was a bit strange. I was making a lot of unforced errors in a period of a very short time and in a way I was happy that I was able to come back. But in a way, it was also lousy because I know not a lot of people are going to let me get away with that. So it's a good reminder for the future to not let that happen again.”
Still feeling the effects of a shoulder injury that she suffered at the beginning of the year and that kept her out of action for two and half months, the second seeded Sharapova didn't make much an impression with her serve, but she said when the tournament began that she believes that she could win a number of matches without her big heater and so far, she been proven correct.
In her previous five appearances in Paris, Sharapova has reached two quarterfinals, but last year, she choked a huge lead to Dinara Safina in the fourth round. This year, she's planning on closing out matches if given the opportunity.
Sharapova faces a tough test in her next round, as she will confront the clay court loving Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, who beat her the only time they played on clay at 2005 Rome. However, Sharapova has bested Schnyder four times on hard courts.
“I'm ready for any battle,” Sharapova said. “It's definitely not an easy match. I'll need to be patient. It's going to be my mindset going into the match. But I also need to be playing my game. I've got to do the things that I still do best and compete and fight, and hope that I don't have any letdowns. Because she has more experience than the girl I played today, and she's not going to let you get away with that.”
Considered by some analysts to be the favourite of the bottom half of the draw, No. 7 Ivanovic has made quick work of her first three opponents, dropping only lost seven games in three matches.
“It's an amazing feeling, and especially, she's a young girl, up coming,” Ivanovic said. “She played some good tennis. She won a lot of matches. So I knew it will be tough match. But she's a good player, and I was a little bit nervous today. And I had to work for points, because I didn't feel as comfortable there as the other two matches I played. So my serve was not working as well as it was last match. I had to work hard for it.”
Ivanovic can crush the ball off both wings, and with her broad shoulders and powerful legs is one of the few top women who are not faking it when she launches an inside-out forehand. She is also comes in to net quite a bit and is the best young volleyer on the tour.
The 19-year-old had an erratic start to the year, reaching the Tokyo final, and falling early at Indian Wells and Miami. But once she got on to clay, her game began to pick up steam. She reached the semi-finals of Amelia Island on green clay and last month, won her second career Tier I title by taking down Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Berlin final on red clay.
In the past, she has taken down every major seed on her side of the draw, including Amelie Mauresmo, whom she upset at 2005 Roland Garros.
“I think at the moment in women's tennis there is not one person that you can say, 'Oh, I can beat her,” Ivanovic said. “Everything is open. It just depends at the time, the day, who is playing better tennis.
Obviously, I beat most of them, it's amazing feeling to see that actually I can be one of the players competing for a title.
Ivanovic, will play the winner of the match between Daniela Hantuchova and Anabel Medina Garrigues.
