Paris ? Marat Safin’s left pinkie was mummified. Parts of four other fingers were wrapped with white tape, too, and matchbook-sized 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 run at Roland Garros 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.

On Wednesday, Nalbandian will 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.