World number one Lindsay Davenport [Images] staged a remarkable comeback to beat Kim Clijsters [Images] 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals of the French Open on Sunday.

The only remaining American in either singles draw, top seed Davenport looked helpless in the first set and was 3-1 down in the second but she recovered to beat Belgian Clijsters for the first time in seven meetings.

Davenport, who has often struggled on the Paris clay with a semi-final appearance in 1998 her best result, will meet local favourite Mary Pierce or Switzerland's [Images] Patty Schnyder for a place in the semi-finals.

"I'm really a little bit amazed I was able to pull that match out today," said Davenport.

"I feel really proud of myself because there were a lot of things going against me today and I still won through.

"I'm so excited to be in the quarters, right now I'm just ecstatic to be where I am."

Former world number one Clijsters, a runner-up in Paris in 2001 and 2003, seemed on her way to a comfortable win, taking the first set in just 20 minutes, but her nerve then failed her and she collapsed.

The combative Belgian, seeded 14th, was a doubtful starter for the tournament because of strained knee ligaments.

However, she had breezed into the last 16 despite heavy strapping on her right knee, which she sported again on Sunday.

MEXICO VACATION

Davenport, who has won every grand slam tournament but this one, took four weeks off the circuit before coming to Paris, her preparations including a vacation in Mexico.

Former world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne, the champion in 2003, will try to restore Belgian pride when she faces U.S. Open title holder Svetlana Kuznetsova [Images] later on Sunday.

Unseeded Romanian Victor Hanescu became the first man to reach the quarter-finals when he overcame former Wimbledon [Images] finalist David Nalbandian in five sets, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

The exit of Nalbandian, seeded 10th, leaves four Argentine players in the draw.

One of them is ninth seed Guillermo Canas, who needed five sets and as many hours to overcome Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 7-6, 2-6, 6-7, 8-6.

Canas, who survived two match points, was two sets up when the contest was interrupted because of darkness on Saturday.

Hanescu, who had never advanced past the third round of a grand slam tournament before, now meets top seed Roger Federer [Images] or Spain's Carlos Moya [Images], the 1998 champion.

World number one Federer face the first true test of his French Open credentials when he takes on Moya later on Sunday.

Swiss Federer, chasing his first Paris triumph, has not dropped a set so far.

To many pundits, the real favourite is not Federer but Spanish prodigy Rafael Nadal [Images], trying to become the first man to win at Roland Garros on his debut since Swede Mats Wilander in 1982.

The 18-year-old left-hander with the magic forehand, who crushed local hope Richard Gasquet in the previous round, could break French fans' hearts again when he plays Sebastien Grosjean.

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