Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in action against France’s Amelie Mauresmo during their second round match at Roland Garros on Thursday. Mauresmo was upset 3-6, 4-6. (Reuters)

Paris: Reputations counted for little at the French Open on Thursday when Amelie Mauresmo, James Blake and David Nalbandian were toppled by opponents ranked outside the world’s top 75.

Triple champion Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic survived the carnage and dodged the rain, which once again returned to Roland Garros, to stride on.

Mauresmo’s slim hopes of winning her home Grand Slam were shredded in the second round by a 19-year-old upstart ranked 132 in the world, Carla Suarez Navarro.

Before arriving in Paris, Carla had never played at a Grand Slam. That did not stop the Spanish qualifier from embarrassing the 22nd seed Mauresmo with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Seventh-seeded Blake, one of the five American men to reach the second round, had been hoping to join compatriot Wayne Odesnik in the last 32 but was bounced out by an rival who hails from a family of basketball players.

Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis, ranked 80th in the world, ensured Blake’s nightmare in Paris continued with a 7-6,3-6,7-5,6-3 humbling on Court One. The American has never passed the third round in six attempts.

Unlike Mauresmo and Blake, sixth seed Nalbandian had enjoyed a good track record at the clay court major after reaching the semi-finals in 2004 and 2006, but he resigned a two-set lead to go down 3-6,4-6,6-2,6-1,6-2 to French wildcard Jeremy Chardy.

For a woman who had never before experienced the imposing surroundings of the Philippe Chatrier Court, Carla remained undaunted and turned into public enemy No. 1 as she handed Mauresmo her earliest defeat at her home Grand Slam for seven years.

The teenager ended Mauresmo’s ordeal after 72 minutes of one-sided action, the Frenchwoman punching a backhand long on match point.

Former champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario was among the Spaniard’s entourage which applauded her moment of triumph as a crestfallen Mauresmo was left to digest her 14th flop in Paris. “Frankly, I don’t know what to say right now, because there was nothing much on my side,” said a demoralised Mauresmo, who has never progressed beyond the last eight in Paris. “All I can say is that I feel sorry about the way I played.”

Nalbandian would also be kicking himself after allowing a winning situation to slip through his fingers. The local favourite remained unfazed even when he was cramping and 0-2 down in the fifth set. He pulled off the biggest victory of his career when Nalbandian scooped a backhand into the net after three hours of see-saw action. As Nalbandian tried to work out what to do with the free time that had unexpectedly come his way, Blake was simply disgusted by his performance. “I lost to a guy ranked 80th in the world. Granted, he didn’t play like 80th in the world, he played better than that. But there are a lot of guys out there that can dictate play against me if I try to play like that,” Blake fumed.

Albert Montanes had the audacity to take the first set off Federer but it did not take the world No.1 long to pull rank. Firing winners at ease, he put the Spanish minion firmly in his place with a 6-7 6-1 6-0 6-4 exhibition.After being given the run around by the rain for three days, Nadal wasted little time in stifling French qualifier Nicolas Devilder 6-4 6-0 6-1.

On Thursday, it took him less than two hours to book his third round berth against fellow left-hander Jarkko Nieminen.

Williams was a 6-2, 6-4 winner over Tunisian qualifier, Selima Sfar while Jankovic overcame a wrist injury scare to see off New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-2,7-6. (Reuters)

DAY IV RESULTS

MEN’S SINGLES, first round — Marcos Daniel (Bra) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (23, Esp) 6-7 (5), 2-2, retired; Radek Stepanek (21, Cze) bt Gilles Simon (Fra) 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; Jurgen Melzer (Aut) bt Peter Luczak (Aus) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; Jiri Vanek (Cze) bt Jesse Huta Galung (Ned) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; Lleyton Hewitt (25, Aus) bt Nicolas Mahut (Fra) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Fabrice Santoro (Fra) bt Evgeny Korolev (Rus) 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4; David Ferrer (5), Spain, bt Steve Darcis, Belgium, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; Mardy Fish (US) bt Agustin Calleri (Arg) 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Martin Vassallo Arguello (Arg) bt Feliciano Lopez (Esp) 7-6 (1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3; Bobby Reynolds (US) bt Thierry Ascione (Fra) 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Dmitry Tursunov (30, Rus) bt Daniel Brands (Ger) 6-2, 6-4, 7-5; Juan Ignacio Chela (Arg) bt John Isner US) 2-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny (15, Rus) bt Benjamin Becker (Ger) 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (4); Marat Safin (Rus) bt Jean-Rene Lisnard (Mon) 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 6-2; Marc Gicquel (Fra) bt Viktor Troicki (Srb) 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; Jarkko Nieminen (26, Fin) bt Marc Lopez (Esp) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; David Marrero (Esp) bt Victor Crivoi (Rou) 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4; Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Robin Haase (Ned) 7-6 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (4): Victor Hanescu (Rou) bt Dudi Sela (Is) 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Albert Montanes (Esp) bt Kristof Vliegen (Bel) 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3); Rafael Nadal (2, Esp) bt Thomaz Bellucci (Bra) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; Julien Benneteau (Fra) bt Vince Spadea (US) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3; Diego Junqueira (Arg) bt Adrian Mannarino (Fra) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; Luis Horna (Per) bt Scoville Jenkins (US) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0; Ivan Ljubicic (28, Cro) bt Eric Prodon (Fra) 7-5, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4); Robby Ginepri (US) bt Donald Young (US) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2; Alejandro Falla (Col) bt Ivo Karlovic (20, Cro) 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4; Igor Andreev (27, Rus) bt Potito Starace (Ita) 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-4; Gael Monfils (Fra) bt Arnaud Clement (Fra) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

Second round — Novak Djokovic (3, Srb) bt Miguel Angel Lopez Jaen (Esp) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3; Paul-Henri Mathieu (18, Fra) bt Oscar Hernandez (Esp) 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2; Nicolas Almagro (19, Esp) bt Sebastian Decoud (Arg) 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-1; Simone Bolelli (Ita) bt Juan Martin del Potro (Arg) 3-6, 7-6 (0), 7-5, 6-2; Eduardo Schwank (Arg) bt Marcel Granollers (Esp) 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4; Wayne Odesnik (US) bt Lee Hyung-taik (Kor) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Michael Llodra (Fra) bt Tomas Berdych (11, Cze) 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Andy Murray (10, GBR) bt Jose Acasuso (Arg) 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.

MEN’S DOUBLES, first round — Stephen Huss/Ross Hutchins (Aut/Ger) bt Mahesh Bhupathi/Mark Knowles (4, Ind/Bah) 6-4, 6-4; Leander Paes/Lukas Dlouhy (9, Ind/Cze) bt Sanchai Ratiwatana/Sonchat Ratiwatana(Tha) 6-2, 6-4.

WOMEN’S SINGLES, first round — Francesca Schiavone (18, Ita) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-3, 6-2; Sanda Mamic (Cro) bt Michaella Krajicek (Ned) 6-4, 6-3; Marta Domachowska (Pol) bt Rossana de Los Rios (Par) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1; Bethanie Mattek (US) bt Madison Brengle (US) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; Olga Govortsova (Blr) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukr) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3; Vania King (US) bt Violette Huck (Fra) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb) bt Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) 6-2, 7-5; Maria Sharapova (1, Rus) bt Evgeniya Rodina (Rus) 6-1, 3-6, 8-6; Elena Dementieva (7, Rus) bt Vera Dushevina (Rus) 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-2; Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) bt Karolina Sprem (Cro) 7-6 (3), 3-6, 8-6; Casey Dellacqua (Aus) bt Marion Bartoli (9, Fra) 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2; Flavia Pennetta (26, Ita) bt Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukr) 6-3, 6-2; Katarina Srebotnik (27, Slo) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (Esp) 6-4, 6-2; Marina Erakovic (NZ) bt Tathiana Garbin (Ita) 6-7 (9), 6-3, 6-3; Peng Shuai (Chn) bt Anastasia Rodionova (Rus) 6-0, 2-6, 6-3; Aleksandra Wozniak (Can) bt Sybille Bammer (20, Aut) 6-0, 6-2; Vera Zvonareva (11, Rus) bt Stephanie Foretz (Fra) 6-2, 6-1; Anna Chakvetadze (6, Rus) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (Esp) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1; Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea (Rou) bt Anne Kremer (Lux) 6-0, 3-0, retired; Kaia Kanepi (Est) bt Yuan Meng (Chn) 6-2, 6-2; Nadia Petrova (25, Rus) bt Aravane Rezai (Fra) 7-6 (4), 6-3; Alisa Kleybanova (Rus) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (Tha) 6-3, 6-0; Maria Kirilenko (21, Rus) bt Maria Elena Camerin (Ita) 6-1, 6-0; Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (Fra) bt Ioana Raluca Olaru (Rou) 7-6 (4), 6-3; Victoria Azarenka (16, Blr) bt Edina Gallovits (Rou) 6-1, 6-3; Petra Kvitova (Cze) bt Akiko Morigami (Jpn) 6-4, 6-3; Anabel Medina Garrigues (29, Esp) bt Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (Esp) 6-3, 6-2; Samantha Stosur (Aus) bt Shahar Peer (17, Isr) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; Zheng Jie (Chn) bt Mara Santangelo (Ita) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0; Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) bt Chan Yung-jan (Tpe) 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.

Second round —Caroline Wozniacki (30, De) bt Anastasiya Yakimova (Bl) 6-0, 6-4; Emilie Loit (Fra) bt Klara Zakopalova (Cze) 6-4, 6-3; Agnieszka Radwanska (14, Pol) bt Jelena Pandzic (Cro) 6-2, 6-0; Ana Ivanovic (2, Srb) bt Lucie Safarova (Cze) 6-1, 6-2; Patty Schnyder (10, Sui) bt Timea Bacsinszky (Sui) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; Serena Williams (5, US) bt Mathilde Johansson (Fra) 6-2, 7-5.