It is not often Andy Murray takes on the role of the underdog these days -- hardly surprising given his swift rise to No. 3 in the world.

Murray's French Open campaign has quickly turned into an uphill struggle, though, and reaching the latter stages is a task that won't get any easier.

The 22-year-old's second-round victory over Potito Starace was more testament to his spirit and determination than his form. The 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 scoreline belied the fact that this was a match he may easily have lost.

Starace held set point at 5-1 in the third and was giving Murray all kinds of problems with his fiercely kicking ground strokes.

It took a mental meltdown from the Italian and a supreme display of tenacity from Murray to turn the set, and therefore the match, on its head.

The Brit is on course for a semifinal showdown with Rafael Nadal, but getting that far would be a monumental achievement. Next up is fiesty Janko Tipsarevic, with Marin Cilic and Fernando Gonzalez or Gilles Simon also

Serena Williams is swift to deflect any suggestion she is feeling the pressure at this year's French Open, insisting her only concern at the moment is that older sister Venus has the bigger bedroom in their Parisian apartment.

Even ownership of the property - Serena splashed out on the lavish residence in 2007 - hasn't secured the world No. 2 prime boudoir position. But she may soon have far more serious problems to tackle.

Williams' first-round victory over Klara Zakopalova on Tuesday snapped a three-match losing streak on clay but did little to inspire confidence in her ability to win at Roland Garros for the first time since her sole title here in 2002.

Whereas tournament favorite Dinara Safina looked imperious in her opening-round match, thrashing Anne Keothavong without losing a single game, Williams appeared short on fitness, form and ideas.

Oh how Williams, still experiencing some discomfort from the leg injury that has plagued her since March, would have loved a quick day's

Dinara Safina knows there is only one thing she can do to silence the doubters who question her right to be called world No. 1.

No sooner had the Russian climbed to the top of the rankings last month than the barbed comments started up in earnest. Most of the criticism centered around the fact that Safina has yet to win a Grand Slam title, and the commonly spouted argument insists that she will not be worthy of top spot until she hoists aloft a Slam trophy.

Safina doesn't care too much for the haters and heads into the French Open safe in the knowledge that even though she has yet to win on the biggest stage, her outstanding form over the past 12 months makes her worthy of her ranking.

"I don't want to win a Grand Slam because it will make people think that now I deserve to be No.1," she said. "I want to do it for me, to have the honor of being a Grand Slam champion. It is my dream."

It is a dream that she may never have a better chance of fulfilling.

Despite a tough draw Safina goes

If Roger Federer is looking for good omens ahead of his latest attempt to win the French Open, then he might like a take a look at the history books.

Exactly 10 years ago a certain Andre Agassi strolled onto the red clay of Roland Garros as an underdog seemingly on the decline. Two weeks later he left Paris having completed his career Grand Slam, which is exactly what Federer is chasing once again.

Agassi was playing the French for the 11th time, just like Federer is this year, but alternative evidence doesn't bode particularly well for the Swiss superstar. Even though Federer beat Rafael Nadal on a fast hard court in Madrid last week, the Spaniard is still perhaps the greatest clay-court player in history.

The slower dirt of Roland Garros suits Nadal perfectly, and he has never lost there while racking up four straight French Open titles. Furthermore, Federer has got the tougher draw, being placed in the same half as Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic has resurrected what threatened to turn

Take a good look at this version of the Yahoo! Sports Power Rankings because our list of the current players to watch in women's tennis could soon be very different.

Changes galore can be expected in the coming months, with Maria Sharapova on the comeback trail from injury and Kim Clijsters returning from retirement.

Vera Zvonareva is also likely to re-enter the list once her physical problems are dealt with and hopes to recapture her excellent early season form.

One player who looks to be here to stay is Caroline Wozniacki, the exciting 18-year-old Danish sensation who is beating a path toward the top.

Wozniacki reached the final last week in Madrid, before losing to Dinara Safina.

Safina rises to the top spot for the first time this week, surpassing Serena Williams, largely due to serious doubts about the American star's fitness. (Prior rankings are in parentheses.)

Yahoo! Sports women's tennis power rankings

1. (3) Dinara Safina: Settling into official No.1 spot

2. (1) Serena

It took him nearly two years, but Roger Federer's first victory over Rafael Nadal in a tournament final since Wimbledon 2007 could be the catalyst the world No. 2 needs.

Federer's confidence against Nadal has looked shot in recent times as the young Spaniard has established himself as the dominant force in the game. This year's Australian Open final, when Federer melted down spectacularly in the fifth set, was the most striking evidence of the mental grip Nadal held over his biggest rival.

However, Federer's 6-4, 6-4 victory in the final of the Mutua Madrilena Open on Sunday may serve as the driving force he needs to be competitive with Nadal when it really matters.

Even though Nadal looked worn out following his epic semifinal win over Novak Djokovic, Federer will take great heart from having beaten the 22-year-old on his favorite surface, clay, and in his home country.

Nadal is still an overwhelming favorite for the French Open and rightly so, but Federer has shown it is too early

Roger Federer's comments that Andy Murray's rise to No. 3 in the ATP rankings was largely irrelevant sparked a flurry of media attention in Europe last week.

Many chose to read bad intentions and bitterness into Federer's take on Murray, who has beaten the Swiss superstar the last four times they have played and recently overtook Novak Djokovic on the official ranking list.

However, Federer's words, while delivered bluntly, were right on the mark.

Trading positions three and four is of no interest to Murray and nor should it be. As Federer correctly asserted, what the young Scot is really concerned with is breaking into the dominance of tennis' big two – Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Another crucial point is that no one has been under any doubts that Murray was among the best three players in the world for months now, whatever the computer said.

His form since the midpoint of last year has been exceptional, and in terms of real performance he probably overtook Djokovic around nine months

First Serve

Richard Gasquet will have plenty of time for reflection during the time he will spend on the tennis sidelines after testing positive for cocaine.

The French world No. 21 could be banned for up to two years by the ATP Tour, but who knows if even that period will be long enough for him to work out where it all went wrong.

Back in 2002, Gasquet was a 15-year-old without a care in the world and apparently on the brink of superstardom.

Tennis is full of tales of brilliant juniors who fail to adapt to the professional game, but Gasquet was already making a splash against the men at a tender age. Before his 16th birthday he took a set from eventual champion Albert Costa at the French Open and would become the youngest player to finish a season inside the top 100.

Perhaps fittingly for a player who feels most comfortable on grass, it is two epic contests at Wimbledon that have defined his recent rise and fall. Gasquet's comeback from two sets down to win a Centre Court