After Marat Safin and Andy Roddick (injured) captured the headlines at this year's Roland Garros after being eliminated, another big blow came after the second round. This year's Australian Open finalist, Marcos Baghdatis, surprisingly lost to crowd's favorite Julien Benneteau in five sets. At the end of the game, the scoreboard was showing a cruel verdict for the Cypriot: 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.

The Frenchman could have sealed it in the fourth set, when he had 2 match points. But it was yet not to be for Baghdatis, who came back to delay the end, and wrap it 7-6 in the tiebreak. The final saw, however, the Cypriot overcome by Benneteau's great serving, and had to leave the French capital in the first week of the competition.

It was not to be for other favorites too. British Tim Henman could not overcome his 2-0 down to Dimitri Tursunov from Wednesday, managing only to wrap the third. The fourth saw the Russian seal the win, the final score being 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Chilean Fernando Gonzalez could not enjoy his great victory over Russian Marat Safin, since he had to leave the French Open on Thursday. The man who spoiled Gonzalez's dreams was Serbian Novak Djokovic. The final score was 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1.

"He played his best tennis. I was trying to make it a long match because I knew he would get tired and actually he got tired. I had the feeling I could force a fifth set. He played at his limit but the rain came and he could rest. Then he didn't let me play. When I was 2-1 down in the fifth I could not do anything more", explained Gonzalez.

Here are some more interesting results in the men's competition on Thursday, at the French Open:

G. Monfils - D. Norman 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-0, 7-5
L. Hewitt - M. Montcourt 7-5, 6-3, 6-3
M. Vassallo - S. Grosjean 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
R. Stepanek - D. Sanguinetti 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
T. Haas - A. Waske 6-4, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4