Sharapova sent spinning

TENNIS/French Open, Women's Singles: In the end the long legs were a little too long, the big serve not big enough. The fight was there and the raking groundstrokes that earned her a Wimbledon title last year. But yesterday Maria Sharapova departed, somewhat lamely, to Justine Henin-Hardenne with some hard-learned lessons about clay.

WOMEN'S SINGLES: Quarter-finals: (7) Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt (29) Ana Ivanovic (Ser) 6-2 6-2; (16) Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Sesil Karatancheva (Bul) 2-6 6-4 6-4; (10) Justine Henin-Hardenne (Bel) bt (2) Maria Sharapova (Rus) 6-4 6-2; (21) Mary Pierce (Fra) bt (1) Lindsay Davenport (USA) 6-3 6-2.

MEN'S SINGLES: Quarter-finals: (1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt Victor Hanescu (Rom) 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-3; (4) Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt (20) David Ferrer (Spa) 7-5 6-2 6-0.

MEN'S DOUBLES: Quarter-finals: (1) Mark Knowles (Bah) and Daniel Nestor (Can) bt (12) Martin Damm (Cze) and Mariano Hood (Arg) 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-1; (3) Bob Bryan (USA) and Michael Bryan (USA) bt (6) Leander Paes (Ind) and Nenad Zimonjic (Ser) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3; (2) Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) and Max Mirnyi (Blr) bt (8) Wayne Arthurs (Aus) and Paul Hanley (Aus) 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

MIXED DOUBLES: Quarter-finals: Samantha Stosur (Aus) and Paul Hanley (Aus) bt Sandrine Testud (Fra) and Marc Gicquel (Fra) 6-4 6-1; (4) Anastasia Myskina (Rus) and Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) bt (7) Lisa Raymond (USA) and Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-1) 6-4.

At 18 Sharapova was the eldest of the three teenagers to depart Roland Garros but the world number two was not the highest ranked player to fall as world number one Lindsay Davenport also bid adieu to Paris, Mary Pierce her conqueror.

Of all of yesterday's players, however, it was Henin-Hardenne at her imperious best who sent her levels spiralling high above anyone else, the one-handed backhand whipping Sharapova into exactly the sort of game the Russian did not want to play.

Like a terrier snarling and nipping around the feet of a bigger animal, Henin-Hardenne contrived to make Sharapova's six-foot frame more of a hindrance than an advantage.

There have always been issues with the movement of Sharapova and Davenport on the crushed red brick and yesterday, despite denying her mobility was at fault in the post-match press conference, Sharapova was pulled around the court at will by the quicker, more accurate and ultimately more powerful player.

When the Russian came to the net Henin-Hardenne lobbed her and when she stayed back, the Belgian simply moved her side to side until the court opened up. In the end, the 6-4, 6-2 was a fair reflection of a match won with disconcerting ease.

"I think I'll play Birmingham next," quipped Sharapova, already warming to the grass season. "A little retail therapy in Paris and then I'll go."

Davenport had similar feelings, no tears for the clay. "I'm not sad to see the clay-court season pass. I'm happy to get on to a faster service and feel a little more comfortable," she said.

Defeat also means Sharapova will not arrive at Wimbledon as the first Russian world number one, a ranking that would have sat comfortably beside her position as reigning champion.

Davenport will hold onto that position for a while longer.

Henin-Hardenne, now a strong favourite, came into the tournament on a three-title streak, yesterday's win taking that run of unbeaten matches to 22.

Two match points away from going out against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last round, Henin-Hardenne hopes to repeat what Anastasia Myskina did last year. Myskina survived one match-point against Kuznetsova at the same stage before going on to win the tournament a few days later.

Twenty-three years old today, Henin-Hardenne has reached the semi-finals in Paris in 2001 and 2003. The first time she was beaten by her compatriot Kim Clijsters and the next she won it, dominating Clijsters two years ago in the final.

"I would be surprised if she (Henin-Hardenne) didn't win it," said Sharapova. "I would really be surprised. I think if she keeps her level up and plays the way she played today, she has a great chance."

The Belgian meets Russian Nadia Petrova in the semi-final. The 22-year-old Russian beat 17-year-old Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 6-2 to reach this stage for the second time in her career.

On the other side of the draw, Pierce's ability to out-hit Davenport and murder her second serve earns the 30-year-old a semi-final meeting with the other remaining Russian, Elena Likhovtseva, who knocked out 15-year- old Sesil Karatantcheva.

Pierce is probably the most surprising package. Her groundstrokes are probably the hardest in the women's draw as Davenport found out from the beginning of the encounter.

"Right now I'm just down with the tennis I played," said the American. "She is playing well. When she's on form she does hit the lines a lot.

"I never really felt that much control, didn't have tools to be challenging her and getting her out of her strike zone. At the beginning her margin was incredible. She hit a ton of white lines."

Pierce almost walloped the number one off the court first set. Whizzing to a 4-0 lead Davenport finally began to get a racquet to the ball but much too late, Pierce taking the first set 6-3.

The second set was no different, this time the French player taking a 5-0 lead before the American tried to put a better gloss on a match that was going only one way.

While Pierce did struggle to finally put the contest to bed on her third match-point, her confidence is high and against 29-year-old Likhovtseva, she has a strong chance of making the final. The one-time number three in the world, who is now coached by her brother, David, has gone no further than the quarter-finals in any 2005 tournament.