2008 French Open
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2008 French Open
Date:   May 25 – June 8
Edition:   107th
Champions
Men's Singles
Flag of Spain Rafael Nadal
Women's Singles
Flag of Serbia Ana Ivanovic
Men's Doubles
Flag of Uruguay Pablo Cuevas / Flag of Peru Luis Horna
Women's Doubles
Flag of Spain Anabel Medina Garrigues / Flag of Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Mixed Doubles
Flag of Belarus Victoria Azarenka / Flag of the United States Bob Bryan
French Open
 < 2007 2009 > 

The 2008 French Open was a tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the 107th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from May 25 through June 8, 2008.

Justine Henin did not defend her trophy due to her retirement from the sport on May 14. Henin had the potential to become the only woman in the Open Era to win four consecutive French Open titles (currently, she shares the record of three with Monica Seles). Her retirement meant that the French Open would have a new women's champion in 2008, and Ana Ivanovic, the runner-up to Henin in 2007, was the victor. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal equalled Bjorn Borg's record of four consecutive titles in the open era. Other competitions included men and women's doubles, junior singles and doubles as well as wheelchair and 'veteran' competitions.

Contents

Notable stories

Justine Henin's Retirement

On May 14, 2008, less than two weeks before the start of the 2008 French Open, defending champion and World No. 1 Justine Henin, announced in a press conference her immediate retirement from the sport. Four-time winner in Roland-Garros, where she defeated Kim Clijsters in 2003, Mary Pierce in 2005, Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2006 and Ana Ivanovic in 2007, Henin, became the first player, at 25, to stop her career while holding the number one rank. Henin had undergone a poor run in the 2008 season, but was still considered to be a strong favourite for the French Open crown. Her retirement saw World No. 2 Maria Sharapova installed as the new No. 1 and she became top seed for the tournament.[1][2] Henin's last match was against Dinara Safina, who went on to have a successful French Open, reaching the final. Henin returned at the end of the women's tournament, and presented new champion Ana Ivanovic with the trophy.[3]

Guga's Goodbye

The 2008 French Open saw the last appearance on the ATP Tour of former World No. 1 Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten.[4] The 31-year-old Brazilian champion, had been awarded a wild card to play his final tournament in Roland-Garros, where he won his three Grand Slam titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. Kuerten played his first round, and final singles match on Court Philippe Chatrier against eighteenth-seeded Paul-Henri Mathieu. Kuerten conceded the victory in straight sets after a little less than two hours on the court. A ceremony followed, where Kuerten was awarded a trophy encasing the multiple layers of the French Open's clay courts. Kuerten played his last match in the men's doubles with Sebastien Grosjean. The pair was defeated after three sets by Florin Mergea & Horia Tecau on the score of 5–7, 6–3, 6–1, ending the very final appeareance of Gustavo Kuerten on the tour.

Prix Orange, Citron & Bourgeon

As each year since 1981, three trophies are awarded during the tournament to the players of Roland-Garros: the Prix Orange (Orange Prize), awarded by the public to the player with the most sportsmanship, the Prix Citron (Lemon Prize), awarded by both the public and a journalists' association to the player with the strongest nature, and the Prix Bourgeon (Bud Prize), given by the journalists only to the most improved player of the year. In 2008, the Prix Orange was received, for the fourth year in a row, by Roger Federer, who came first of a tally with five choices, followed by Rafael Nadal, Gustavo Kuerten, James Blake and Carlos Moya. The Prix Citron was obtained by Fabrice Santoro, who preceded Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Juan Carlos Ferrero in the votes. The Prix Bourgeon was given by the press to Alize Cornet, ahead of Janko Tipsarevic and Ernests Gulbis. Gustavo Kuerten, already the recipient of three Prix Orange in 1998, 2002, and 2004, was presented a special ten-year prize for fair-play, in honor of his career and his successes at the French Open.[5]

Day by day

Day 1

The Sunday start saw several seeds in the women's field go out, with Nicole Vaidisova losing to compatriot Iveta Benesova, and Virginie Razzano to Klara Zakopalova. Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, Alize Cornet, Dominika Cibulkova and Caroline Wozniacki all advanced to the second round.[6][7][8]

In the men's field, all eyes were turned to a clash between Paul-Henri Mathieu and former No. 1, 1997, 2000 and 2001 French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, which saw the Frenchman winning 6–3, 6–4, 6–2, marking the closure of Kuerten's career. Third-seeded Novak Djokovic came back from a one set deficit to Denis Gremelmayr to make it into the second round. James Blake, David Nalbandian and Nicolas Almagro proceeded to the next round in straight sets, while Andy Murray needed almost three hours to beat French wild card Jonathan Eysseric 6–2, 1–6, 4–6, 6–0, 6–2. 1998 French Open winner Carlos Moya fell to qualifier Eduardo Schwank and Janko Tipsarevic lost to Nicolas Lapentti.[6][7][9][10][11]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 1)

Day 2

In the women's event, Jelena Jankovic, Karin Knapp, Agnes Szavay and Patty Schnyder all advanced, along with Venus Williams, who lost a set against Tzipora Obziler before eventually winning the match 6–3, 4–6, 6–2. Twenty-third seed Alona Bondarenko was upset by Petra Cetkovska in straight sets.[12][13]

On the men's side, favorites Roger Federer, Fernando Gonzalez and Fernando Verdasco all won, as well as Tomas Berdych, who crushed his opponent Robert Smeets 6–1, 6–0, 6–0, and Tommy Robredo, who defeated 2004 French Open runner-up Guillermo Coria in four sets. Marcos Baghdatis, who had been injured since Indian Wells lost to Simone Bolelli, and 2007 French Open quarterfinalist Guillermo Canas was also upset in straight sets and three tie-breaks by Wayne Odesnik. The shock of the day came as French No. 1 Richard Gasquet announced his withdrawal a few hours before his match, due to a knee injury. Rain interrupted the play during the afternoon, causing all matches to be stopped and rescheduled to the third day.[12][14][15][16]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 2)

Day 3

Rain disturbed the play during the whole day, causing a late start, following which Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina qualified for the second round. After a long interruption in the afternoon, Agnieszka Radwanska, Ai Sugiyama and Amelie Mauresmo had just enough time to advance to the next round.[17][18][19]

In the men's singles, Nikolay Davydenko and Stanislas Wawrinka won in straight sets, whereas Juan Monaco was upset by Robin Soderling, and Mario Ancic defeated Andreas Seppi. Another rain delay eventually forced the ongoing matches to be stopped and rescheduled to the fourth day.[17][20]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 3)

Day 4

Seventy-four matches were programmed to compensate for the rain delays, allowing Francesca Schiavone, Elena Dementieva, Flavia Pennetta, Katarina Srebotnik, Vera Zvonareva, Anna Chakvetadze, Nadia Petrova, Maria Kirilenko, Victoria Azarenka and Anabel Medina Garrigues to advance, along with World No. 1 Maria Sharapova, who was pushed for two-and-a-half hours, but came back from being led 3–4, 15–40, in the final set by compatriot Evgeniya Rodina, only No. 103 in the rankings, to win the match 6–1, 3–6, 8–6. Ninth seed Marion Bartoli, who led Casey Dellacqua when their match was stopped on day three, eventually lost, while Sybille Bammer fell to Aleksandra Wozniak, and Shahar Peer to Samantha Stosur. Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic, Patty Schnyder and Serena Williams all proceeded to the third round.[21][22][23]

In the men's event, Radek Stepanek, Lleyton Hewitt, David Ferrer, Jarkko Nieminen, Dmitry Tursunov, Ivan Ljubicic, Mikhail Youzhny and Igor Andreev advanced, as well as defending champion Rafael Nadal, who survived a first set scare to eventually overpower qualifier Thomaz Bellucci 7–5, 6–3, 6–1. Meanwhile, 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero retired against Marcos Daniel due to a leg injury, and Alejandro Falla defeated Ivo Karlovic 3–6, 7–6(4), 7–6(6), 5–7, 6–4, after nearly four hours. Novak Djokovic, Nicolas Almagro and Andy Murray were among the first to qualify for the third round, alongside Paul-Henri Mathieu, who rallied from two-sets-to-love to overcome Oscar Hernandez in four hours and eleven minutes on the score of 2–6, 1–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–2, and unseeded Michael Llodra, who upset Tomas Berdych in three hours and five sets 6–3, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4.[21][24][25][26][27]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 4)

Day 5

Rain again caused some delays and interruptions during the day, but it did not prevent Venus Williams, Alize Cornet, Jelena Jankovic, Elena Dementieva, Karin Knapp, Flavia Pennetta, Dominika Cibulkova, Katarina Srebotnik, Dinara Safina, Francesca Schiavone, Victoria Azarenka, Agnes Szavay, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Svetlana Kuznetsova from qualifying for the next round. In the meantime, Amelie Mauresmo lost to Carla Suarez Navarro, Ai Sugiyama was defeated by Olga Govortsova, Maria Kirilenko was beaten by Jie Zheng, and Anna Chakvetadze became the highest seed to fall on day five, when she was upset by Kaia Kanepi in straight sets.[28][29][30][31]

The men's field suffered several upsets as well, as James Blake lost to Ernests Gulbis, David Nalbandian was defeated by French wild card Jeremy Chardy, who climbed back from being two sets down to beat the Argentinian 3–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–2, in over three hours and Igor Andreev was upset by American Robby Ginepri. World No. 1 Roger Federer came back from losing the first set to dispatch his opponent Albert Montanes 6–7(5), 6–1, 6–0, 6–4, and advance to the third round along with Rafael Nadal, Mikhail Youzhny, Fernando Gonzalez, Jarkko Nieminen, Dmitry Tursunov, Ivan Ljubicic, Stanislas Wawrinka, Fernando Verdasco, Nikolay Davydenko, David Ferrer, Lleyton Hewitt and Tommy Robredo.[28][29][32][33][34]

The first matches of the doubles competition were played, with World No. 1 team Liezel Huber & Cara Black, Mariya Koryttseva & Vladimira Uhlirova, and Shuai Peng & Tiantian Sun to be among the first to advance to the second round of the women's doubles.[28][35]

On the men's side, Lukas Dlouhy & Leander Paes, Jonas Bjorkman & Kevin Ullyett, Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic, Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski, Marcelo Melo & Andre Sa, Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram, and No. 1 duo Bob & Mike Bryan all proceeded to the next round, while defending champion Mark Knowles, who partnered Mahesh Bhupathi this year, was defeated in straight sets by Stephen Huss & Ross Hutchins, and 2005 and 2006 champion Max Mirnyi, who teamed with Jamie Murray, lost in three sets to Rik de Voest & Robin Haase.[28][36]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 5)

Day 6

On the women's side, Nadia Petrova, Maria Sharapova and Vera Zvonareva all won their second round matches. Ana Ivanovic, victor of Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Alize Cornet, and Patty Schnyder all advanced to the fourth round. They were joined by twenty-seventh seed Katarina Srebotnik, who produced the first big upset of the day by eliminating 2002 French Open champion, fifth seed and favorite Serena Williams 6–4, 6–4, and twenty-sixth seed Flavia Pennetta, who defeated 2002 French Open runner-up, eighth seed and other favorite Venus Williams 7–5, 6–3, marking the first time since Roland-Garros 2004 both Williams sisters lost on the same day.[37][38][39][40][41][42]

In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic and Paul-Henri Mathieu advanced to the fourth round, along with Rafael Nadal, who breezed by Jarkko Nieminen, Nicolas Almagro, who overcame Andy Murray in almost three hours, on the score of 6–3, 6–7(3), 6–3, 7–5, Fernando Verdasco, who defeated Mikhail Youzhny 7–6(5), 5–7, 7–5, 6–1, and French wild card Jeremy Chardy, who continued his run in the tournament by upsetting Dmitry Tursunov.[37][43][44][45]

In the women's doubles field, favorites Yung-jan Chan & Chia-jung Chuang, Nathalie Dechy & Elena Likhovtseva, Tatiana Poutchek & Anastasia Rodionova, Zi Yan & Jie Zheng, Dinara Safina & Agnes Szavay, Victoria Azarenka & Shahar Peer, Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur, Kveta Peschke & Rennae Stubbs and Katarina Srebotnik & Ai Sugiyama all proceeded to the second round, whereas defending champions Alicia Molik & Mara Santangelo were upset in their first match by unseeded Sara Errani & Bethanie Mattek.[37][35]

Christopher Kas & Rogier Wassen, Jeff Coetzee & Wesley Moodie, and Simon Aspelin & Julian Knowle were among the teams advancing to the second round on the men's side, as Lukas Dlouhy & Leander Paes won their second round match. Martin Damm & Pavel Vizner were defeated in straight sets by Lukas Arnold Ker & Juan Ignacio Chela, as Arnaud Clement & Michael Llodra, who lost to Pablo Cuevas & Luis Horna, while Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski lost their second round encounter to Michal Mertinak & Jean-Claude Scherrer.[37][46]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 6)

Day 7

Victoria Azarenka, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic qualified for the fourth round alongside Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva and Vera Zvonareva, at the expense of Francesca Schiavone, Nadia Petrova and Dominika Cibulkova. WTA No. 1 Maria Sharapova was again pushed in the first set by Karin Knapp, before crushing her opponent in the second, to win 7–6(4), 6–0. World No. 49 Kaia Kanepi, victor of Chakvetadze on day five, pursued her run in the tournament by upsetting Anabel Medina Garrigues in three sets 6–1, 6–7(5), 7–5, and Agnes Szavay was defeated by unseeded Petra Kvitova in three sets in the last match of the day.[47][48][49]

In the men's field, twenty-first seed Radek Stepanek dispatched Tommy Robredo in straight sets 6–3, 6–2, 6–1, and Roger Federer advanced past Mario Ancic in little more than an hour-and-a-half, whereas his compatriot and ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who led two-sets-to-love and 3–0 in the third, saw his adversary, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez make a comeback to eventually win the match 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4, in just over three hours. Meanwhile, Lleyton Hewitt and David Ferrer battled through five sets, breaking each other repeatedly, until the Spaniard gained the final advantage, breaking the Australian at 4–4 in the fifth set, which allowed him to win 6–2, 3–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4. Former Top Ten member Ivan Ljubicic produced the biggest upset of the men's field thus far, coming back from a two sets deficit to defeat World No. 4, 2007 French Open semifinalist Nikolay Davydenko 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4, and obtain his first fourth round spot in a Grand Slam event since the 2006 French Open.[47][50][51]

In the doubles, Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko, and Anabel Medina Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual won their first round matches, while Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur, Mariya Koryttseva & Vladimira Uhlirova, Yung-jan Chan & Chia-jung Chuang, Cara Black & Liezel Huber, Shuai Peng & Tiantian Sun, Victoria Azarenka & Shahar Peer, Zi Yan & Jie Zheng advanced to the third round. Nathalie Dechy & Elena Likhovtseva were defeated by unseeded team Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea & Aravane Rezai, second-seeded Katarina Srebotnik & Ai Sugiyama lost to Ashley Harkleroad & Galina Voskoboeva, and Iveta Benesova & Janette Husarova were beaten by Natalie Grandin & Raquel Kops-Jones.[47][52]

World No. 1 doubles duo and 2003 French Open champions Bob & Mike Bryan cruised to the third round of the men's draw, along with Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic, Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram, and Simon Aspelin & Julian Knowle. Frantisek Cermak & Jordan Kerr won one of the last first round encounters. Favorites Jeff Coetzee & Wesley Moodie were upset in straight sets by Serbian pair Janko Tipsarevic & Victor Troicki, Brazilian team Marcelo Melo & Andre Sa lost to Rajeev Ram & Bryan Reynolds, and fifteen-seeded Christopher Kas & Rogier Wassen retired against tall opponents John Isner & Sam Querrey.[47][53]

Finally, in the mixed doubles competition, No. 1 seeds Katarina Srebotnik & Nenad Zimonjic breezed by their opponents to advance to the second round along with Kveta Peschke & Pavel Vizner and Cara Black & Paul Hanley. Eighth seeds Alicia Molik & Jonas Bjorkman were eliminated by Janette Husarova & Andre Sa, fourth-seeded pair Chia-jung Chuang & Jonathan Erlich lost to Olga Govortsova & Daniel Martin, and seventh seeds Lisa Raymond & Simon Aspelin to Kateryna Bondarenko & Jordan Kerr. Unseeded defending champions Nathalie Dechy & Andy Ram were upset, in the last mixed doubles match of the day, by Dominika Cibulkova & Gael Monfils.[47]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 7)

Day 8

WTA No. 2 and 2007 Roland-Garros runner-up Ana Ivanovic left no hopes to opponent Petra Cetkovska as the Serb double-bageled her way into the quarterfinals in less than an hour. Jelena Jankovic faced more difficulties as she had to battle during more than two hours against fourteenth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska to win only 6–3, 7–6(3), and secure a quarterfinal spot, along with Patty Schnyder, who defeated Katarina Srebotnik. Meanwhile, twenty-sixth seed Flavia Pennetta lost in straight sets to nineteen-year-old Spanish qualifier Carla Suarez Navarro, in her first ever Grand Slam appearance.[54][55]

In the men's draw, nineteen-year-old Latvian, unseeded Ernests Gulbis was the first player to qualify for the round of eight, by defeating Michael Llodra in straight sets. He was followed by Novak Djokovic, who defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu 6–4, 6–3, 6–4, to reach his third consecutive quarterfinal in Roland-Garros, Nicolas Almagro, whose opponent, the French wild card Jeremy Chardy held set points in all three sets, but eventually lost on the score of 7–6(0), 7–6(7), 7–5, and ATP No. 2 and defending champion Rafael Nadal, who crushed compatriot and twenty-second seed Fernando Verdasco 6–1, 6–0, 6–2, in little less than two hours.[54][56][57]

In the women's doubles, Tatiana Poutchek & Anastasia Rodionova were upset in three sets by Casey Dellacqua & Francesca Schiavone in their second round match, while Anabel Medina Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual, Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko, Kveta Peschke & Rennae Stubbs, and Dinara Safina & Agnes Szavay won theirs. In the third round encounters, sixth seeds Victoria Azarenka & Shahar Peer defeated Chinese team Shuai Peng & Tiantian Sun after three sets, Cara Black & Liezel Huber beat Mariya Koryttseva & Vladimira Uhlirova, and unseeded pair Nuria Llagostera Vives & Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez upset Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur. Unseeded Ashley Harkleroad & Galina Voskoboeva were the fourth team of the day to advance to the quarterfinals.[54]

On the men's side, Bob & Mike Bryan, and Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic qualified without problems for the quarterfinals, alongside Jonas Bjorkman & Kevin Ullyett, whereas ninth seeds Lukas Dlouhy & Leander Paes were eliminated by South American duo Pablo Cuevas & Luis Horna, and Australian Open champions Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram lost to Bruno Soares & Dusan Vemic. Unseeded Belgians Steve Darcis & Olivier Rochus also secured a quarterfinal spot. Meanwhile, thirteenth-seeded Frantisek Cermak & Jordan Kerr were knocked out of the second round by Igor Kunitsyn & Dmitry Tursunov.[54]

In the mixed doubles, Zi Yan & Mark Knowles, and Victoria Azarenka & Bob Bryan advanced past the first round. Second-seeded Kveta Peschke & Pavel Vizner proceeded to the quarterfinals, alongside unseeded teams Janette Husarova & Andre Sa, Kateryna Bondarenko & Jordan Kerr, and wild cards Virginie Razzano & Rogier Wassen. Despite their second round win in the morning, Zi Yan & Mark Knowles decided to withdraw from the mixed competition, allowing Liezel Huber & Jamie Murray to secure a quarterfinal spot.[54]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 8)

Day 9

In the women's draw, Elena Dementieva came back from the loss of the second set to defeat compatriot Vera Zvonareva 6–4, 1–6, 6–2, and reach her first quarterfinal spot in a Grand Slam since 2006. Berlin Tier I titlist, and thirteenth seed Dinara Safina saved one match point at 3–5 in the second set and overcame a 2–5 deficit in the second set tie-break, before climbing back to upset World No. 1 Maria Sharapova on the score of 6–7(6), 7–6(5), 6–2, and set up a rematch of the Berlin final against Dementieva.[58][59]

After a difficult first set, Fernando Gonzalez cruised to the quarterfinals beating Robby Ginepri 7–5, 6–3, 6–1, in less than two hours. World No. 1 Roger Federer struggled during almost three hours, but eventually defeated unseeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau, by breaking in the last game of every set to win the match 6–4, 7–5, 7–5. Twenty-one-year-old, ATP No. 59 Gael Monfils was the only French player out of the five present in the round of sixteen to advance, as he upset his opponent Ivan Ljubicic on the score of 7–6(1), 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, to reach his first quarterfinal in a Grand Slam event. David Ferrer's 4–6, 6–2, 1–6, 6–3, 6–3 win over Radek Stepanek allowed him to become the last man qualified for the singles' quarterfinals.[58][60][61]

Unseeded Russian pair Igor Kunitsyn & Dmitry Tursunov advanced, and were shortly followed by the unseeded team, Janko Tipsarevic & Victor Troicki, who upset fifth seeds Simon Aspelin & Julian Knowle in three close sets, to complete the men's doubles' quarterfinals' line-up. Unseeded South American team Pablo Cuevas & Luis Horna produced the biggest upset of the men's draw in the first quarterfinal match, by knocking out of the tournament World No. 1 duo Bob & Mike Bryan 6–3, 5–7, 7–6(1). In the second quarterfinal of the day, Bruno Soares & Dusan Vemic upset eight seeds Jonas Bjorkman & Kevin Ullyett, to advance to the semis.[58][62]

On the women's side, Yung-jan Chan & Chia-jung Chuang proceeded to the quarterfinals, alongside Anabel Medina Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual who beat Zi Yan & Jie Zheng, unseeded Casey Dellacqua & Francesca Schiavone, who upset third seeds Kveta Peschke & Rennae Stubbs, and Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko, who defeated ninth-seeded Dinara Safina & Agnes Szavay.[58][63]

Mixed doubles sixth seeds Cara Black & Paul Hanley were defeated by Jie Zheng & Mahesh Bhupathi in their second round encounter.[58]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 9)

Day 10

In the women's singles, WTA No. 49, twenty-two-year-old Estonian Kaia Kanepi defeated unseeded Petra Kvitova 6–3, 3–6, 6–1, to advance to the quarterfinals, her best result thus far in a Grand Slam tournament. World No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova matched her 2007 Roland-Garros performance by advancing to the quarterfinals, easily defeating sixteenth-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6–2, 6–3. The first quarterfinal saw the highest seed remaining, Ana Ivanovic, beat tenth seed Patty Schnyder 6–3, 6–2, to reach her second consecutive semifinal at the French Open. She was joined in the afternoon by another 2007 French Open semifinalist, World No. 3 and Serbian No. 2 Jelena Jankovic, who dispatched nineteen-year-old Spanish qualifier Carla Suarez Navarro 6–3, 6–2, in little more than an hour.[64][65][66]

After three hours of play, ATP No. 3 Novak Djokovic came out the winner of a close three-setter against nineteen-year-old unseeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis, on the score of 7–5, 7–6(3), 7–5, to reach his fifth consecutive Grand Slam semifinal. On the Philippe Chatrier central court, defending champion Rafael Nadal crushed compatriot Nicolas Almagro 6–1, 6–1, 6–1, in less than two hours, to set-up a rematch of the Hamburg Masters' semifinal, and of last year's French Open semifinal, both against Djokovic.[64][67][68]

No. 1 seeds Cara Black & Liezel Huber defeated all-Spanish team Nuria Llagostera Vives & Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in straight sets, in the first quarterfinal encounter of the women's doubles. On the other side of the draw, Australian Open champions Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko also advanced, beating unseeded pair Ashley Harkleroad & Galina Voskoboeva. Unseeded Casey Dellacqua & Francesca Schiavone were the third duo to qualify for the semifinals, upsetting sixth seeds Victoria Azarenka & Shahar Peer, and were followed by Anabel Medina Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual, who defeated fourth seeds Yung-jan Chan & Chia-jung Chuang after three close sets and more than three hours of play.[64][69]

Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic, the only seeded players remaining in the men's doubles draw, advanced to the semifinals past Belgians Steve Darcis & Olivier Rochus in straight sets, while Igor Kunitsyn & Dmitry Tursunov continued their run in the tournament and completed the semifinal line-up, by defeating Janko Tipsarevic & Victor Troicki.[64][70]

In the first quarterfinal matches of the mixed doubles, unseeded team Jie Zheng & Mahesh Bhupathi defeated wild cards Virginie Razzano & Rogier Wassen, and second seeds Kveta Peschke & Pavel Vizner overcame Janette Husarova & Andre Sa. Meanwhile, first-seeded Katarina Srebotnik & Nenad Zimonjic won their second round match.[64]

(Pictures, Quotes, from Day 10)

Day 11

The third quarter of the women's draw was a rematch of the 2001 French Open girls' singles final, but the unseeded twenty-two-year-old Estonian Kaia Kanepi, victor in 2001, was defeated this time by her opponent Svetlana Kuznetsova, now the WTA No. 4, in little less than an-hour-and-a-half, on the score of 7–5, 6–2, allowing the Russian to reach her fourth Grand Slam semifinal, and her second at the French Open, after an appearance in 2006. Dinara Safina repeated her drama-filled performance of the fourth round as she saved one match point against Elena Dementieva at 3–5 in the second set, before climbing back and crushing her adversary in the final set to claim a 4–6, 7–6(5), 6–0 victory, secure her first Grand Slam semifinal spot, and set an all-Russian clash against Kuznetsova.[71][72]

Fernando Gonzalez made a powerful start at the beginning of his quarterfinal against Roger Federer, winning the first set 6–2 in only twenty-four minutes, before the World No. 1 took back the control of the match and easily won the following sets, to end the encounter on the score of 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4, and advance to his sixteenth consecutive Grand Slam semifinal, his fourth in Roland-Garros. In the last quarterfinal of the men's singles, ATP No. 59, twenty-one-year-old Gael Monfils, winner of the Juniors competition at the 2004 French Open, became the first French player to go past the round of eight in Roland-Garros since 2001, as he upset fifth seed David Ferrer 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1, to set a semifinal against Federer, already the third encounter between the two players in 2008.[73][74]

Unseeded team Casey Dellacqua & Francesca Schiavone proceeded to their first Grand Slam final by defeating Australian Open champions Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko 6–2, 6–1. In the second semifinal of the women's doubles, World No. 1 Cara Black & Liezel Huber were upset in straight sets 6–4, 7–6(2), by Anabel Medina Garrigues, who advanced to her first Grand Slam final, & Virginia Ruano Pascual, who reached her fifteenth Grand Slam final, and her seventh at the French Open.[75]

In the mixed competition, third seeds