PARIS — Saturday did not get off to a particularly auspicious start for Americans.
Andy Roddick lost in straight sets, the top-seeded Bryan twins did the same in doubles, and Serena Williams felt so dizzy and weak while dropping five consecutive games that she sought a doctor’s attention before turning things around to win.
And then, Robby Ginepri of Kennesaw, Ga., upset 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4 to give the United States one man in the fourth round.
“Obviously, you want as many Americans in the tournament as you can,” he said.
His run at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament is rather unlikely, and not just because he had to beat two seeded players. Ginepri doesn’t have a coach, is ranked 98th, and hadn’t won a main-draw match on clay this year before the French Open. Before his 3-0 streak this past week, Ginepri boasted a record of 1-7 in all tour-level matches this season.
There’s more, including a blister on his right foot that Ginepri had a trainer treat during Saturday’s match. A minor inconvenience compared with the medical procedure he had 1 1/2 months ago for a neck injury that prevented him from tilting his head all the way.
And even though Ferrero is not as good — or as young — as seven years ago, he entered Saturday 20-4 with two titles on the slow surface in 2010, and he was seeded 16th.
“I’m quite surprised that he lost,” is the way his countryman Rafael Nadal put it after moving into the fourth round by beating two-time major title winner Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Also winning Saturday were No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic, Ginepri’s next opponent; No. 7 Fernando Verdasco; No. 11 Mikhail Youzhny; and No. 19 Nicolas Almagro.
No. 6 Roddick lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to 114th-ranked qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia and acknowledged: “I got outplayed from the first ball.”
Roddick’s exit came at about the same time as his frequent U.S. Davis Cup teammates Bob and Mike Bryan, seeking their record-breaking 62nd career doubles title, lost in straight sets in the second round to Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares.
“Maybe we’re a little tired mentally,” Bob Bryan said.
In singles, No. 9 David Ferrer went out 6-4, 6-0, 7-6 (1) against No. 22 Jurgen Melzer, and No. 14 Ivan Ljubicic was beaten 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4 by No. 24 Thomaz Bellucci, who now plays Nadal.
The matchup expected to highlight the day’s play — Maria Sharapova vs. Justine Henin, a pair of former No. 1s with 10 Grand Slam titles between them — was suspended because of darkness while tied at a set apiece.
There were no significant surprises in the women’s matches that were completed, with the No. 1-seeded Williams, No. 4 Jelena Jankovic and No. 7 Sam Stosur reaching the fourth round.
The one, real stop-the-presses moment came when Williams felt ill, falling behind 5-0 in the second set against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a Russian teen seeded 29th.
During a changeover, a doctor and a trainer came out, took Williams’ temperature and gave her some pills. Her play improved in the third set, and she was able to close out the 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 win.
At a glance
A look at the French Open on Saturday:
58 — Winners hit by Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili in his 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over Andy Roddick, who had only 14 winners.
Quote of the day: “Rafa doesn’t give you any cheap points out there.” — Lleyton Hewitt, who lost to Rafael Nadal in three sets
On court today: MEN — No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 20 Stanislas Wawrinka, No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. No. 11 Mikhail Youzhny, No. 4 Andy Murray vs. No. 15 Tomas Berdych, No. 5 Robin Soderling vs. No. 10 Marin Cilic. WOMEN — No. 2 Venus Williams vs. No. 19 Nadia Petrova, No. 3 Caroline Wozniacki vs. No. 14 Flavia Pennetta, No. 5 Elena Dementieva vs. Chanelle Scheepers, No. 12 Maria Sharapova vs. No. 22 Justine Henin (suspended at a set apiece Saturday because of darkness).
Today’s TV: Tennis Channel — 3-10 a.m.; ESPN2 — 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. The Associated Press
