Safin falls to bogey man Santoro

Ossian Shine

Second-seeded Marat Safin of Russia was bustled out of the French Open on Saturday, falling 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 0-6, 6-1 to his nemesis Fabrice Santoro in the third round.

The U.S. Open champion and world number two became the highest seed to fall in the men's singles, going down in three hours and 12 minutes to unseeded Frenchman Santoro, who has beaten him in six of their seven meetings.

In the women's singles, American seeds Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams and Meghann Shaugnessy marched into the last 16, as the Spanish challenge ended in the third round for the first time in 15 years with the defeat of eighth seed Conchita Martinez.

Safin committed a string of unforced errors on a chilly Centre Court in the opening two sets of his match against Tahiti-born Santoro.

The Russian won 11 straight games from 4-2 down in the third set, though, only to lose his serve and his nerve in the fourth game of the final set as the match slipped from his grasp.

Santoro, cheered on by chants of "Fabrice, Fabrice" from the home crowd, will face Alex Corretja of Spain, seeded 13th, in the last 16 after securing his first victory over a seed at a Grand Slam.

"At the end of the third set I felt I had to drop the fourth," Santoro said. "I know it was a risk but I needed a rest. After that it was a flawless performance.

"Last time I won three matches at Roland Garros was in 1991 - I hope I won't have to wait another 10 years for this to happen."

Australian Open champion Capriati, seeded fourth, and Williams, number six, blasted their way into round four with straight-sets victories on a cold and blustery day at Roland Garros.

Shaugnessy, seeded 16th, joined her compatriots by beating Slovak Janette Husarova 7-5, 6-4, but Martinez lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Zimbabwe's Cara Black.

LOST NERVE

It is the first time since 1986 that neither Martinez, last year's runner-up, nor her compatriot Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, who lost in the second round, have reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

Martinez had never previously gone out before the fourth round since making her French Open debut in 1988.

Runner-up to Mary Pierce last year, the experienced Spaniard appeared to be heading for a comfortable victory as she dominated the first set.

After Black had squared the match, Martinez also took a 3-0 lead in the third set before losing five successive games to slip to the brink of defeat.

She saved two match points but the Zimbabwean clinched victory with a wide, swinging serve and will next face Italian Francesca Schiavone, who knocked out 10th-seeded South African Amanda Coetzer 7-5, 6-4.

WARNED RIVALS

Capriati overpowered Croatian Mirjana Lucic 6-3, 6-1 before warning her rivals that she was playing better than when she won her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia earlier this year.

"I think I feel stronger here," she smiled. "Physically I feel stronger, I think I am in better shape. It is a different surface, totally different conditions, but overall I think my tennis has improved since then."

Lucic was simply unable to match Capriati's accuracy in overcast, windy conditions, slumping to defeat in 51 minutes, and the American, who will next face Shaughnessy, is full of confidence.

"Maybe I'm considered more of a favourite now," said the player who, aged 14, became the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist in the 1990 French Open.

Williams cruised through 6-1, 6-2 against Hungarian qualifier Zsofia Gubacsi on Court Suzanne Lenglen, matching her best French Open performance.

"I'm definitely playing better," said the 19-year-old. "I'm moving better, I've more confidence and I'm pretty proud of myself for that."

Williams will next meet Russian Nadia Petrova, who overcame American Amy Frazier 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Later on Saturday, women's top seed Martina Hingis faces Australian Rachel McQuillan on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

In the men's singles Andre Agassi, the American third seed, is due to play Brazilian Fernando Meligeni.