Sharapova sees off battling Zheng at French Open

PARIS: Defending champion Maria Sharapova reached the French Open fourth round on Saturday with a 6-1, 7-5 win over China's Zheng Jie despite an up and down centre court performance.


The second seeded Russian will take on America's Sloane Stephens, who she beat comfortably on clay in Rome two weeks ago, for a place in the quarter-finals.

Azarenka struggles into French Open last 16

PARIS: Third-seeded Victoria Azarenka overcame 10 double faults and 31 unforced errors to defeat France's Alize Cornet 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and book a place in the French Open last 16 on Saturday.


The Australian Open champion reeled off the last six games of the match and goes on to face either French 13th seed Marion Bartoli or Italy's 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone for a quarter-final spot.


In a match which featured 15 breaks of serve, it was the 23-year-old Frenchwoman, fresh from a third career title in Strasbourg on the eve of Roland Garros, who took the first set, courtesy of a big forehand off a second serve.

Rafael Nadal survived an early scare

ARIS -- Rafael Nadal survived an early scare and successfully began his bid for an eighth French Open title by rallying past Daniel Brands of Germany, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.