Federer falls, Safin survives

Results: Men's singles | Women's singles

World number one and top seed Roger Federer was forced to play second fiddle to a claycourt maestro on Saturday, falling in the French Open third round to Gustavo Kuerten.

Federer, the Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, was simply outclassed 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 by the Brazilian three-times former champion.

"It is a love story for me," Kuerten said. "This tournament helps me to get the best from myself."

Try as he might, Federer had no answer to the Brazilian's brilliance throughout the contest and acknowledged the fact afterwards.

"He deserves it, he won three times here. He played really well, he deserved the crowd's support, he deserved to win," the Swiss said.

Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, by contrast, put an end to Martin Verkerk's love affair with Paris, ousting the unexpected 2003 finalist in an erratic match 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Seeded 12th, the Australian former U.S. Open champion now meets Albert Costa, the 2002 Roland Garros champion, or Belgium's Xavier Malisse. Their match was stopped by fading light as the Spaniard was leading 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 5-5.

Roland Garros nearly lost another crowd favourite in Marat Safin, who saved two match points in the fourth set before finishing off Italian qualifier Potito Starace 6-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.

NAILBITING SAFIN

The Russian former world number one had spent four hours and 38 minutes on court to dismiss Felix Mantilla in a nailbiting second round match.

This time, he needed 13 minutes less to survive another thriller on centre court and beat Starace, who had to be content with saving five match points and turning the crowd against the former U.S. Open champion.

Safin, who was treated for blisters three times during the match and used all the tricks of the trade to disturb his opponent, goes on to meet eighth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian.

The former Wimbledon finalist became the fourth Argentine to reach the round of 16 when he beat Austrian Stefan Koubek 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 7-5.

Gaston Gaudio also joined third seed Guillermo Coria, the highest ranked player left in the tournament and Juan Ignacio Chela in the fourth round.

In the women's draw, second seed Serena Williams reached the fourth round with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over unseeded Croatian Silvija Talaja.

The American, champion in 2002, made 32 unforced errors but was too good for Talaja, the world number 106, winning in 67 minutes to set up a clash with Shinobu Asagoe of Japan.

Serena was joined in the last 16 by elder sister Venus, the fourth seed blasting 2000 champion Mary Pierce 6-3, 6-1. She plays Colombian 23rd seed Fabiola Zuluaga next.

Seventh seed Jennifer Capriati battled through with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Russia's Elena Bovina.

The 28-year-old American was made to fight all the way by 25th seed Bovina, one of the large crop of exciting Russian women players on the tour.

Champion in 2001, Capriati will next meet 17th seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy.

COURT JINX

Sixth seed Anastasia Myskina also advanced, ousting Czech Denisa Chladkova 6-3, 7-6. She will next face 11th-seeded compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Kuerten was irrepressible on a scorching hot centre court, absorbing everything the world number one had to throw at him and firing winners all over the red surface.

A single break in each set was all the 28th seed needed to topple the pre-tournament favourite.

Federer was typically candid. "My game today had a lot to do with his game," he said. "He served well, he was better, that's all I can say.

"I put it down to his good performance. He did not give me too much of a chance."

Before his second-round victory over German Nicolas Kiefer, 22-year-old Federer had never won a match on centre court and he insisted he felt like he was on another planet there.

"It's not the surface. It's the court. The Chatrier court is very, very big and I just don't have enough matchplay there.

Kuerten was thrilled. "I have good feelings about this court," he grinned. "I have a lot of experience, you know, playing there. I can normally surprise myself the way I play in this tournament."

"And for him I think it was difficult, you know, to face the one guy that's playing really well, inspired."

Kuerten will next face Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

Men's singles third round results: (prefix number denotes seeding)
26-Albert Costa (Spain) v Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 4-6 6-2 6-4 5-5 - bad light stopped play
20-Marat Safin (Russia) beat Potito Starace (Italy) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 3-6 7-5 7-5
12-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat 19-Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) 6-2 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-1
8-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 7-5
23-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Lee Hyung-taik (South Korea) 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-0 6-3
Igor Andreev (Russia) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3
28-Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) beat 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-4 6-4 6-4
Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) beat Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) 6-0 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4

Women's singles third round results: (prefix number denotes seeding)
4-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat 30-Mary Pierce (France) 6-3 6-1
23-Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 5-7 6-2 6-3
11-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Myriam Casanova (Switzerland) 3-6 6-3 6-4
2-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Silvija Talaja (Croatia) 6-0 6-4
Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 7-5 4-6 6-4
7-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat 25-Elena Bovina (Russia) 6-2 3-6 6-4
6-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Denisa Chladkova (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-6 (7-3)
17-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 6-2 6-3