Sharapova ousted from French Open

Sharapova had struggled for form in her opening three matches and many tipped her fellow Russian to cause an upset.

And after letting two set points slip by in the opener, Safina saved a match point in the second set before taking control of a tense decider.

She will play compatriot Elena Dementieva in the quarter-finals.

"After my title this season in Berlin, this was one of my best matches and one of my best comebacks," said Safina.