Top-seeded Safina easily beats another opponent at French Open to move into quarterfinals

Safina eases past another opponent at French Open

PARIS — Dinara Safina cruised to another easy win at the French Open, advancing to the quarterfinals by beating Aravane Rezai of France 6-1, 6-0.

The top-seeded Safina won 11 straight games to close out the match. She has lost only five games through four rounds of the clay-court major, and has won four of the eight sets she has played at love.

“I’m just surprised that it’s really like five games that I lost before getting into the quarters,” Safina said. “It’s not a bad feeling, and I hope if I continue like this I can go a long way.”

Safina took over the No. 1 ranking this year, but has yet to win a Grand Slam title. She lost to Ana Ivanovic in last year’s French Open final, and fell to Serena Williams in this year’s Australian Open title match.

But since taking over the top spot in the women’s rankings, Safina said things have been easier on her.

“It was too much pressure for me,” Safina said of the rise to the top. “It was always going on the court not to lose a match, and of course it’s always difficult to play when you step on the court and you’re afraid of losing.

“So I think once I go to No. 1 spot, I took it (off) my shoulders. Like, OK, I’m there where I wanted to be. Now I just want to go out there and play.”

No. 20 Dominika Cibulkova also reached the quarterfinals in the women’s draw at Roland Garros. The 20-year-old Slovak beat No. 29 Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-2, 6-4 in a sloppy match that had a combined 17 winners and 66 unforced errors.

Cibulkova won five straight games in the second set to lead 5-2, but was broken while serving for the match and had to wait a few more minutes to serve again and advance to her first major quarterfinal.

“I felt like I (was) going to cry because I was just so happy,” Cibulkova said of winning the match point. “This moment — for this, I play tennis, for these moments.”

Szavay upset third-seeded Venus Williams in the previous round.

On the men’s side, Fernando Gonzalez became the first player to reach the quarterfinals, beating Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. No. 3 Andy Murray soon followed with a 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-1 win over No. 13 Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Gonzalez, who reached the 2007 Australian Open final, ended the match with his 21st forehand winner. He finished with 50 winners and only 16 unforced errors.

“I tried to win every point,” said Gonzalez, who will face Murray in the next round. “And then I’m trying to not be risky if I don’t need it. Maybe I got a break, and then I can start to hit my huge shots. … When I have to use my shot, I use it, because I know I’m going to win the match with my forehand and my serve.”

The 12th-seeded Chilean also reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year, losing to eventual finalist Roger Federer. Hanescu reached the French Open quarterfinals in 2005, also losing to Federer.

Gonzalez was a semifinalist at the two other clay-court tournaments he entered this year, but missed a pair of others with an ankle injury.

Later Sunday, defending champions Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic were on court.