New world No.1 Maria Sharapova is steadily improving but has yet to face any player of serious quality at the French Open. Only then will we see how good she really is on clay.

Sharapova faced Karin Knapp of Italy in the third round and after two big battles against relatively unknown players, she needed to put fear into her rivals by showing just how well she can play on the surface.

Maria struggled initially against the determined Knapp and the 20-year-old Italian nearly had the first set but lost her nerve on the crucial points, handing Sharapova the tie-breaker. It’s easy to see that the Russian has the shots to hurt her opponents on clay but she isn't using them enough - and her serve was all over the place in some games. She did, however, improve in the second set and after a lengthy first couple of games she destroyed Knapp 6-0 to move into the fourth round.

'I still stick by Zvonareva as the one Russian who really stands out as a title contender this year and her 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Alexandra Wozniack of Canada showed just why'


However, Maria will have to improve once again when she takes on fellow Russian Dinara Safina in the last 16. Safina, younger sister of Marat Safin is in terrific form on the clay, having won in Berlin a few weeks ago against a host of top names and has moved swiftly through the first three rounds all in straights sets - giving her opponents little chance.

Zheng Jie of China troubled her in a few games but the seeded Safina bounced back to win 6-2, 7-5. Dinara has never really shown her full potential to the tennis world but maybe her chance will come against an out-of-sorts Sharapova.

The Russians are having a brilliant tournament so far with Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonavera and Elena Dementieva all joining Sharapova and Safina in the last 16. I still stick by Zvonareva as the one Russian who really stands out as a title contender this year and her 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Alexandra Wozniack of Canada showed just why.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus is also blowing away her opponents in the early rounds. She is a player I have tipped since the beginning of the season to show her true worth and clay is her favourite surface to do it on. She thrashed Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-1, 6-1 and I wasn't the only one to be impressed.

With the Williams sisters both out, Justine Henin retired and Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic hardly playing at there best in the early rounds, this year’s French Open is open wider than ever to all the young players still in the draw. An upset can happen in any match and I think it is great for women’s tennis that any one of ten players has a realistic chance of doing something special at Roland Garros 2008.

Although Sharapova has battled her way to the fourth round, I think she will find it hard to go on and win the tournament. My tips are still Azarenka and Zvonavera. Let’s see what happens tomorrow…