May 28, 2011
(CNN) -- Maria Sharapova remains on track for a first French Open title after reaching the last 16 with a comprehensive win over Taiwanese qualifier Chan Yung-Jan on Saturday.
The former world No. 1, who has won the other three grand slam titles, is among the favorites following the earlier exits of top seeds Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters.
The Russian, seeded seventh, won 6-2 6-3 against her 129th-ranked opponent. She set up a fourth-round clash with Agnieszka Radwanska as she seeks her best showing at Roland Garros since reaching the semifinals in 2007.
Polish 12th seed Radwanska, who has beaten Sharapova only once in seven meetings, also won in straight sets as she defeated Belgium's No. 21 Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 6-4.
Wozniacki dumped out of French Open
"It'll be a really tough match because I think this is one of her best surfaces," Sharapova, who counts clay as her least favorite, told reporters. "She's a really good mover and gets a lot of balls back."
The winner of their match will face either Russian 25th seed Maria Kirilenko, who had no problems in ending the run of Clijsters' young Dutch conqueror Arantxa Crus, or Germany's Andrea Petkovic.
Petkovic, seeded 15th, overcame Australian No. 24 Jarmila Gajdosova 6-2 4-6 6-3 to reach the fourth round for a third successive grand slam event, having lost in the quarterfinals of this year's Australian Open.
Fourth seed Victoria Azarenka is one of Sharapova's main threats to the title, and the Belarusian moved into the last 16 with a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win over Italy's Roberta Vinci.
Azarenka reached the quarterfinals in 2009, and will seek to emulate that effort by beating Russia's world No. 33 Ekaterina Makarova -- who eliminated Estonian 16th seed Kaia Kanepi 6-4 7-5.
The winner of that match will face either Chinese sixth seed Li Na or Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.
Australian Open runner-up Li equaled her best performance in Paris, in 2009, by beating Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-2, while ninth seed Kvitova defeated American Vania King 6-4 6-2.
Meanwhile, Swiss player Patty Schnyder has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 32 following her first-round exit in Paris.
The former world No. 7 has won 11 titles in a 17-year career, reaching 27 finals.
Her best performance at a grand slam was reaching the semifinals of the 2004 Australian Open, while she helped Switzerland reach the Fed Cup final for the only time in 1998.
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