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Sharapova, seeded fourth, failed to convert two set points in the opening set, then rallied but couldn't close out the victory. She was twice broken serving for the match, hitting errant forehands on three consecutive points to lose serve for 5-all.
"At that point you're thinking left and right, and you don't know what you're doing," Sharapova said. "You go into a different world, and you make dumb decisions."
The 5-foot-11.5 Safina controlled the rallies in the final two games, keeping her Russian compatriot on the move and on her heels.
"I took everything in my hands," Safina said. "Before, she was dictating and I had always to run from corner to corner. I said, 'OK, now I'll try to make her run.' I started to be more aggressive."
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When Safina sealed the upset with a backhand crosscourt winner, she threw her arms aloft, then swung her racket one last time with glee.
The tournament was the first since April 1 for Sharapova, who withdrew from two events leading up to Roland Garros because of a right ankle injury. She sought to shrug off the clay-court collapse.
"I haven't played a lot of matches in the past weeks and don't feel like I'm match-tough enough," she said. "Of course I'm disappointed, but I didn't think I would be playing my best tennis here."
Safina will next play another Russian, former U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. The No. 8-seeded Kuznetsova lost her serve seven times but rallied past No. 9 Francesca Schiavone 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
I love her forever.
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