Title favorite Guillermo Coria reached the quarterfinals of the French Open on Sunday without breaking sweat while British comeback king Tim Henman had to battle down to the wire to make the last eight for the first time.
Third seed Coria, the top ranked player left after the defeat of Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, was leading Nicolas Escude 6-0 in his fourth round match when his opponent retired with an injured shoulder after just 25 minutes.
He now goes on to face 1998 champion Carlos Moya who swept past Spanish countryman Tommy Robredo 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 6-2.
Meanwhile, in the women's draw Serena and Venus Williams moved effortlessly closer to a possible semifinal showdown while Russian trio Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina also booked quarterfinal places.
In a dramatic contrast, ninth seeded Henman came back from two sets down for the second time in the tournament and saved a match point to defeat France's last hope Michael Llodra after 4hr 11min on the Suzanne Lenglen Court.
Henman, who had also fought back from two sets down in his opening day win over another Frenchman Cyril Saulnier, has now made the last eight of a Grand Slam event outside of Wimbledon for the first time.
He is also the first British player to reach the quarter-finals in Paris since Roger Taylor in 1973.
Henman next plays Juan Ignacio Chela, the 22nd seed from Argentina who defeated Olivier Mutis of France 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
The 2002 champion Albert Costa lost his third round match to Xavier Malisse.
The Spanish 26th seed wasted two match points in the fourth set to go down to a 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 8-6 defeat to the Belgian who now takes on Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in Monday's fourth round.
In the women's event, third-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo enjoyed a 6-2, 6-1 win over Bulgarian 21st seed Magdalena Maleeva.
Mauresmo now faces Russian ninth seed Dementieva, who put out America's Lindsay Davenport, for a place in the semifinals.
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