Paris: Andy Roddick is still alive in Paris, reaching the fourth round of the French Open for the first time in his career by beating Marc Gicquel of France 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday.

Roddick is only the second American to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros since Andre Agassi in 2003, the same year Roddick won his only major title at the US Open. Robby Ginepri also made the French Open’s fourth round last year.

“It’s three matches,” said Roddick, who had seven aces and only 11 unforced errors. “It’s a lot better than I’ve done here before.” Roddick has reached at least the semi-finals at the other three Grand

Slam tournaments. Besides winning the 2003 US Open, he is also a two-time runner-up

at Wimbledon. But at the French Open, Roddick’s best performance before this year was reaching the third round in his 2001 debut.

“I like my chances maybe more than the other years,” Roddick said. “I feel like I’m moving a little bit better on this stuff. I’m able to kind of slide into my forehand.”

Fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro also advanced, beating Igor Andreev of Russia 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. No 11 Gael Monfils of France and Tommy Haas of Germany also reached the fourth round.

On the women’s side, fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva lost to No 30 Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Dementieva followed No 3 Venus Williams out of the tournament. The American lost in straight sets on Friday. Stosur, seeded 30th at this year’s French Open, converted seven of her 15 break points against Dementieva, the 2004 runner-up at Roland Garros.

“I just feel I’m far away from ... being in good shape,” Dementieva said. “I feel like I couldn’t perform any better.” Stosur has never before reached the fourth round at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament. She

reached the same stage at the 2006 Australian Open, but has never made the quarter-finals at a major.

Fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic and No 7 Svetlana Kuznetsova also easily advanced to the fourth round. Jankovic had little trouble against 73rd-ranked Jarmila Groth of Australia, winning 6-1, 6-1, while Kuznetsova beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-1, 6-3.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion, reached the French Open final in 2006 but lost to Justine Henin. No 9 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus completed her comeback over 22nd-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday. Suarez Navarro won the first set on Friday and Azarenka took the second before play was suspended by darkness.

No 12 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, No 24 Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada and unseeded Virginie Razzano of France also advanced.