TENNIS/Australian Open Championships:It must be hoped that France's Amelie Mauresmo puts up a much better fight when she defends her Wimbledon title later this year. She certainly displayed precious little resolve during her 6-4, 6-3 fourth-round defeat here yesterday by the 19-year-old Czech Lucie Safarova, who, prior to this year's Australian Open, had won only one match at this level and is ranked outside the top 50.
Mauresmo led 4-1 in the opening set but then all her old failings resurfaced, and a soft sigh swept around the Rod Laver arena moments after Safarova's celebrations.
It took Mauresmo 31 slam attempts before she won her first major here a year ago, and even then it was somewhat tarnished by the default of Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne in the final. No matter, the French woman went on to win in London.
The admirers of her fluid attacking play and athleticism were delighted, and hoped the nerves that had so often made a mockery of her talent were finally banished.
It was, it seems, too much to expect, although Mauresmo admitted to not feeling good about her game from the moment she arrived in Australia this year.
Clearly she was disappointed, and scurried off court with the briefest acknowledgement of the sympathetic applause, but it was a disappointment tempered by the exploits of last year.
At least now when she loses in this way the long-standing label of "most talented woman never to have won a slam" no longer applies.
"I was trying to be more aggressive," Safarova said.
"When I was playing against a big player before, I was still hurrying too much on the court and making so many mistakes."
"I'm so happy to win. I can't believe I did it."
She will meet 10th seed Nicole Vaidisova, who beat the Russian Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-3.
Safarova, the girlfriend of Tomas Berdych, is one of a seemingly never-ending multitude of Russian and eastern European youngsters pouring into the game.
One name to stand out amid the sea of -ovas and -vics yesterday was that of Shahar Peer, the 19-year-old Israeli who, like Safarova, reached her first slam quarter-final with an excellent 6-4, 6-2 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Russian third seed and former US Open champion.
Peer, who in 2005 began mandatory military training, entered the top 20 last year and has a vociferous band of supporters here.
"It means so much to me. They were here at 10am when I was warming up and they have been cheering me on in every match," she said. "I know it's going crazy back home. They showed the match live in Israel. Now it will get even crazier."
The more so should she beat Serena Williams, who despite her obvious lack of physical conditioning worked a 6-3, 6-2 win over Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, who had reached the final of the Sydney tournament prior to the Open and was a US Open semi-finalist last year.
She would not admit to being intimidated by the seven-times slam champion, now ranked 81st, but Jankovic played straight into her hands, often putting the ball into the American's hitting zone. Dumb, so dumb.
There were three third-round matches carried over after a lengthy rain delay halted play on day six.
China's Na Li wiped Russia's Darina Safina off the court with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Li, the first Chinese person to reach a grand slam quarter-final, got 75 per cent of her first serves in and smacked 24 winners at world number 10 Safina to win through to the fourth round.
Li faces a tough ask next though as she will be up against three-time Australian Open winner Martina Hingis, who will go into the match with an extra day's break.
Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova had a battle on her hands against unseeded American Ashley Harkleroad. The 15th seed lost the first set in a lengthy tie-break, but took the match 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-3.
Hantuchova will meet one of the favourites, Kim Clijsters, while Anna Chakvetadze - who beat Jelena Kostanic-Tosic 6-4 6-4 - will meet the eighth seed, Patty Schnyder.
Guardian Service
MEN'S SINGLES: Third Round: (12) Tommy Haas (Ger) bt Florian Mayer (Ger) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-3, (13) Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt (21) Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) 6-2 6-1 6-1. Fourth Round: (1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt (14) Novak Djokovic (Ser) 6-2 7-5 6-3, (7) Tommy Robredo (Spa) bt (18) Richard Gasquet (Fra) 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-4, Mardy Fish (USA) bt (16) David Ferrer (Spa) 6-1 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-5, (6) Andy Roddick (USA) bt (9) Mario Ancic (Cro) 6-3 3-6 6-1 5-7 6-4.
WOMEN'S SINGLES: Third Round: (12) Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) bt Jelena Kostanic (Cro) 6-4 6-4, (15) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) bt Ashley Harkleroad (USA) 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 6-3, (19) Na Li (Chn) bt (9) Dinara Safina (Rus) 6-2 6-2. Fourth Round: Serena Williams (USA) bt (11) Jelena Jankovic (Ser) 6-3 6-2, (16) Shahar Peer (Isr) bt (3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-4 6-2, (10) Nicole Vaidisova (Cze) bt (7) Elena Dementieva (Rus) 6-3 6-3, Lucie Safarova (Cze) bt (2) Amelie Mauresmo (Fra) 6-4 6-3.
