With Dinara Safina and Maria Sharapova, Russia is rising again

TODAY’S FEATURED MATCHES

(world rankings in parentheses)

Dinara Safina (1), Russia, vs. Victoria Azarenka (9), Belarus

Safina has been so suddenly despotic this tournament that even though Azarenka is absolutely a budding starlet at 19, if she wins as many as three games -- as nobody else has against Safina -- she should get a standing ovation and a chanting of her name and maybe a small bouquet of flowers.

Maria Sharapova (102), Russia, vs. Dominika Cibulkova (19), Slovakia

Sharapova has returned refreshed and eloquent and free from any expectations. It’s almost as if now and then everybody should take 10 months off, have a little shoulder surgery and some good ol’ rehab.

Andy Murray (3), Britain, vs. Fernando Gonzalez (12), Chile

If Murray can pass this formidable roadblock and grace the semifinals on his least-favorite Grand Slam surface, it will be one phenomenal achievement and one more clear indication of his outright magnificence. One or two soccer fans might even notice.

Robin Soderling (25), Sweden, vs. Nikolay Davydenko (11), Russia

As Soderling tries to back up his monumental toppling of Rafael Nadal, he might reveal whether he got that text he expected from Bjorn Borg, whose four straight French titles, a record he shares with Nadal, the Spaniard could not eclipse because of Soderling. Back in Borg’s day, of course, people sent congratulations by yelling into a styrofoam cup with a long string attached.

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A FRENCH MORSEL

Farewell to Serbia, for two years the official country of the French Open. For two straight, remarkable years, the Balkan nation somehow wrung from its mere 10 million citizens three of the eight men’s and women’s semifinalists at the French Open. But Novak Djokovic went out shockingly Saturday to Philipp Kohlschreiber, who couldn’t last past the next round. And defending women’s champion Ana Ivanovic left Sunday, hurried away by Azarenka. And after an 89-minute third set that took almost as long as a worthy French lunch, No. 5 Jelena Jankovic, too, has left, falling to 19-year-old Sorana Cirstea of Romania by 3-6, 6-0, 9-7.

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ALSO MONDAY IN PARIS

Long, long ago, before noon Paris time Monday, Serena Williams looked very much like Serena Williams in barging through Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-1, 6-2, as Wozniak tensed up during her first match on the main Court Philippe Chatrier. . . . Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, to arrange a fine quarterfinal with Williams. . . . No. 5 Juan Martin Del Potro’s commanding excellence showed as he shooed France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets and prompted Tsonga to say, “I think he can win the tournament.” . . . Australia has its first women’s quarterfinalist in 21 years, Samantha Stosur, and victim Virginie Razzano of France said after Stosur’s 6-1, 6-2 win, “She serves like a man. She has the best serve as a woman on the tour, except for Venus Williams and Serena Williams. But I’d say that she serves better than Serena or Venus, because she can do all types of serves.” . . . Spain’s Tommy Robredo quietly made his fourth French quarterfinal.

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THE ENDANGERED AMERICAN MALES

And so the number finished its inexorable path from nine to zero when that eager clay-court student, Andy Roddick, was routed by Gael Monfils, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3, in the fourth round. It’s over -- but wait. A beacon of hope shimmers in the distance. Two beacons, actually: the ever-reliable Bob and Mike Bryan from Camarillo have reached their eighth straight French Open quarterfinal -- with one title -- and proved again that if you’re a desperate clay-court nation, it’s shrewder to birth the hopefuls two at a time.

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STAT OF THE DAY

42-0 and 8-6: Roddick’s record in his service games in his first three matches, and then in his fourth match, against the fleet Monfils.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

Serena Williams, comparing the two tours: “Well, I mean, clearly women’s tennis is better than men’s tennis. There’s no comparison. . . . I mean, it’s way cattier, so it’s way more exciting to watch.”

-- Chuck Culpepper