Haas humbled by Andrei Pavel

Germany's Tommy Haas became the highest-seeded casualty of this year's French Open on Sunday when he fell 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 to Romania's Andrei Pavel in the fourth round of the claycourt Grand Slam.

Women's favourites Venus Williams and Monica Seles made no mistake though, breezing past Chanda Rubin and Daniela Hantuchova while Mary Pierce reduced a 121-point ranking difference to dust as she belted ninth seed Silvia Farina Elia 6-1, 6-2.

Pierce's world ranking of 132 belies her standing in the game, however, as it is the result of her missing most of last year through a series of injuries.

She is, in fact, undefeated here since 1999, having won the 2000 title and missing last year.

Third seed Haas took considerable time to get going and by the time he did Pavel proved too strong to allow him back into the contest.

After racing through the first set, the Romanian sneaked a tense and tight tiebreak 11-9 for a two-set lead.

Junior champion here in 1992, Pavel had until this year endured an abysmal record in the French capital of three first-round defeats and one second-round finish.

BEST WIN

He looks to have cracked the surface this time though and outgunned the German in the third set to clinch his best win at the claycourt event.

"I wanted to win it so badly...I had never reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam," Pavel said.

Venus's 6-3, 6-2 victory stretched her supremacy over Rubin to 7-1. "I like playing her," she grinned afterwards.

"At least she likes to play aggressively...quick points. Some players you think they are never going to try and end the point.

"With Chanda I knew I had to hit a winner before she did."

Next up for Venus is Seles. The three-times champion out-battled 11th seed Hantuchova 6-4, 7-5 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the 10th time in as many appearances.

Seles won the last of her Paris crowns aged 19 -- the age of Slovakia's Hantuchova now -- and the sixth seed's experience told when it mattered, as she sealed victory in 93 minutes.

"It's tough playing for the first time on centre court," said Seles.

"She has a great serve, a fluid game and moves well for her height. But I made less errors I guess."

Men's champion Gustavo Kuerten faces Spain's Albert Costa later on Sunday while top seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia meets Argentine Guillermo Canas.

Women's champion and top seed Jennifer Capriati is up against Swiss 20th seed Patty Schnyder.