'Selfish' Sharapova on fire at French Open

3 Jun 2012, 2:18 pm   -   Source: AAP

French Open title favourite Maria Sharapova has dropped just five games in three matches en route to the fourth round at Roland Garros

Maria Sharapova makes no apologies for her relentless march through the French Open draw as she single-mindedly pursues the only grand slam crown eluding her.

Sharapova plays unseeded Czech Klara Zakapolova on Monday for a quarter-final berth having conceded just five games in her first three matches at Roland Garros.

The ruthless Russian has spent less than three hours on court, but couldn't care less when asked if she might be short-changing the paying public after a 6-2 6-1 third-round destruction of China's Peng Shuai on Saturday.

"The last thing that's on my mind when I'm going out on court is thinking about who paid for a ticket and how long they're going to watch my match for," the second-seeded title favourite said.

"I mean, I'm not sure if that's selfish or not, but my job is to go out on the court and to try to win.

"Whether it's 6-0 6-0, whether it's a tough three-set match, you're trying to do what you have to do and play as well as you can.

"Things can change, but that's not my goal."

Sharapova is continuing on in Paris where she left off in Rome, but says her nine-match hot streak will count for nothing against the 44th-ranked Zakapolova.

"In the next round, it starts from 0-0," said the world No.2.

"Whoever you're playing, you have to go and try and do the same thing.

"There are a lot more rounds to go. It just gets tougher from this point and you hope, as the tournament goes on, that you raise your level.

"You're going to be facing tougher opponents."

Just not former champion Francesca Schiavone or former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who fell by the wayside on Saturday to further open up Sharapova's bottom half of the draw.

Schiavone, who ambushed Samantha Stosur in the 2010 final and lost last year's decider to Li Na, crashed to a 3-6 6-3 8-6 defeat to Uzbekistan-born American Varvara Lepchenko.

Schiavone had been the oldest player left in the tournament at 31 and will relinquish her place in the world's top 20.

But Lepchenko can look forward to a shot at Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Monday after the Czech fourth seed accounted for Russian Nina Bratchikova 6-2 4-6 6-1.

Wozniacki, who has slipped to ninth after starting the year atop the rankings, fell 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 to Brisbane International winner Kaia Kanepi.

The Estonian next meets fast-rising 2008 Australian Open junior champion Arantxa Rus.

The Dutch youngster - who last year took out Kim Clijsters - advanced to the last 16 with a niggly 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-2 win over German Julia Goerges.

Li's title defence remains intact after China's only grand slam singles winner overcame American Christina McHale 3-6 6-2 6-1.

The seventh seed is up against Kazakhstani qualifier Yaroslava Schvedova in her fourth-round match on Monday.

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