By Howard Fendrich
AP Tennis Writer

PARIS - Marat Safin's left pinkie was mummified. Parts of four other fingers were wrapped with white tape, too, and patches protected each burning palm. Splotches of rust-colored medicine stained his hands.

This was no way to try to reach the French Open quarterfinals, and Safin eventually succumbed to the pain of 11 blisters and the steady play of David Nalbandian.

Safin's riveting run at Roland Garros included two five-setters, three match points saved, a much-discussed partial disrobing, a rant about what's ailing tennis - and it all ended in the fourth round with Monday's 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 loss to Nalbandian.

"The hands, I don't care about actually anymore, because I'm just a little bit frustrated," the 2000 U.S. Open champion said. "It was another big opportunity for me to fight for a title. Just to waste this opportunity this way, it's a pity."

The eighth-seeded Nalbandian joins No. 3 Guillermo Coria, No. 22 Juan Ignacio Chela and unseeded Gaston Gaudio to give Argentina half of a major's quarterfinal slots for the first time. And none faces each other next, a prospect that delighted Nalbandian.

"I'm a little surprised," he said. "I hope it will be all Argentines in the semifinals."

On Wednesday, he'll play three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, who finished his 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory over No. 23 Feliciano Lopez caked with clay from a late tumble on a serve-and-volley bid that went awry.

Nothing was messy about Gaudio's 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Igor Andreev, who knocked off defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round. Gaudio's quarterfinal foe will be No. 12 Lleyton Hewitt, a 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (6) winner against Xavier Malisse.

Two men's quarterfinals are today: Coria vs. 1998 champion Carlos Moya, and Chela vs. No. 9 Tim Henman, the first Englishman to get this far at Roland Garros since Roger Taylor in 1973.

All women's round-of-eight matches also are today, highlighted by Serena Williams against Jennifer Capriati.

With Safin's departure, three men are left who have won a Grand Slam title: Brazil's Kuerten, Spain's Moya, and Australia's Hewitt, the 2001 U.S. Open and 2002 Wimbledon winner.

Safin drew whistles and jeers from the crowd when he called for the trainer at 30-all during the fifth game of the fourth set. He walked to his seat, chucked his racket, and threw a hand in the air, as if to reply, "Hey, get off my case."

Nalbandian wasn't fazed much, his only real blip coming in the tiebreaker. He used drop shots effectively throughout, five times getting clean winners, and repeatedly luring Safin to the net before whipping a passing shot.

At a glance

Men's Winners: No. 8-seeded David Nalbandian, No. 12 Lleyton Hewitt, No. 28 Gustavo Kuerten, Gaston Gaudio.

Men's Losers: No. 20 Marat Safin, No. 23 Feliciano Lopez, Igor Andreev, Xavier Malisse.