Russians emerge as a genuine force in Paris

The Russians have long threatened to take over the world game and, at this year's French Open, they have taken a giant step towards achieving that feat.

The Russians have long threatened to take over the world game and, at this year's French Open, they have taken a giant step towards achieving that feat.

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With three players in the quarter-finals, Russian women have achieved their best showing in a grand slam tournament while two of their male compatriots have reached the last 16.

In Paris this week, Elena Dementieva, Anastasia Myskina and Maria Sharapova have helped their country emerge as a tennis superpower.

The Russian trio are rivalled in numbers only by the much more familiar U.S. contingent of Jennifer Capriati, Serena and Venus Williams.

With Marat Safin and Igor Andreev advancing to the fourth round, Russian men easily surpassed the achievements of their American counterparts, whose French Open campaign ended after the second round.

In all, the country had 12 women and five men in the draw.

Inspired by the success of 1996 French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov and 2000 U.S. Open winner Safin in the male ranks, the women have lifted the iron curtain once and for all.

Although the Foundation for the Development of Tennis in Russia was instrumental in launching the careers of the immediate post-Perestroika generation, Russian players are now mapping their own individual paths rather than following a streamlined plan.

At Roland Garros last year, Nadia Petrova beat Vera Zvonareva in the last eight and they each had a very different life story to tell.

COMPETITIVE SPIRIT

While Dementieva and Myskina are homegrown products, 17-year-old Sharapova has opted for an American training regime in the hope of emulating Czech-born Martina Navratilova or Yugoslav native Monica Seles.

With 13 Russians in the top 100 of the WTA rankings, the players maintain a great deal of comradeship despite having to compete against each other on a weekly basis.

"Of course, off the court we're good friends but on court it's a totally different story and we want to beat each other," Sharapova said.

"We know we have a long career ahead of us, we're still very young and we're going to be doing this for many years to come. Better get to know each other now."

The young Florida-based Sharapova appears to have the best chance to reach the semi-finals as she meets Argentine Paola Suarez in the next round.

Despite choosing to live in the United States and employing the services of an American coach, Robert Lansdorp, Sharapova insists she remains a Russian at heart.

"Living in the U.S. I feel much safer than I would going back to Russia. But in Russia, I feel like I'm going back home. This is where I really belong," she said.

Five years older than Sharapova, Dementieva and Myskina remain Moscow-based.

Dementieva, who feels almost at home in Paris as she has a French degree and speaks fluent French, meets local hero and tournament favourite Amelie Muresmo in the quarter-finals.

Sixth seed Myskina, the highest-ranked Russian player, also faces a hard task against Venus Williams.

However, she remains undaunted by the prospect and instead is glad to have avoided her compatriots in the draw so far.

"It's great that we do not play against each other. That's the main thing," she said.