Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, the 2004 Roland Garros runner-up, was sent crashing out of the French Open in the third round on Saturday by Australia's Samantha Stosur. The 30th seed won 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in her career, and the first time on the testing clay courts of the French capital.
Stosur will now tackle France's Virginie Razzano, who put out Italian veteran Tathiana Garbin 7-5, 7-5, where a victory would make her the first Australian woman to make the quarter-finals here since Jelena Dokic in 2002. "I am far away from being in good shape," admitted the 27-year-old Dementieva.
The 27-year-old Russian had struggled in the previous round when she went a set down to Dokic before the Australian retired in tears with a back injury. Dementieva praised Stosur's physical ability and fitness. "It's difficult to play against someone who is so fit. Her serve is unusual for the women's game, there's a lot of spin and she has a very powerful game," said Dementieva.
Gold Coast resident Stosur, who had lost to the Russian in the third round of the Australian Open, took the first set with a trademark, big forehand before both players struggled with the windy conditions inside Court Philippe Chatrier. The first four games of the second set all went against serve until Dementieva made the crucial break in the 10th game to level the tie.
But 25-year-old Stosur raced away in the decider taking a 4-0 lead before wrapping up the match with another power-packed, crosscourt winner as Dementieva joined third seed Venus Williams as a major third round casualty. "I came out playing well. I wasn't too nervous and I tried the handle the wind as best as I could," said Stosur. "Even though I lost the second set, I knew I had to keep plugging away in the third."
Fifth seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic, a semi-finalist in the last two years, brushed aside Australia's world number 73 Jarmila Groth 6-1, 6-1. Jankovic will face either Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki or Romania's Sorana Cirstea for a place in the quarter-finals. Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Russian seventh seed, continued her low-profile progress through with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Hungary's Melinda Czink.
Kuznetsova, a former US Open champion and who was runner-up here in 2006, has lost just 11 games on her way to the fourth round for a sixth successive year. The 23-year-old will face Polish 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska who put out unseeded Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-4 for a place in the quarter-finals.
"Radwanska moves well. She reads the game well. It's her strength. As far as weaknesses are concerned, I will keep to myself," said Kuznetsova. Belarussian ninth seed Victoria Azarenka set up a last 16 clash against defending champion Ana Ivanovic after she beat Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 in a tie held which was suspended Friday because of bad light. Later Saturday, American second seed, and 2002 champion, Serena Williams faces Spain's Maria Jose Martina Sanchez who has never made the last 16 of a Grand Slam.
RESULTS French Open results at Roland Garros on Saturday (x denotes seeded player):
MEN (THIRD ROUND) Tommy Haas (GER) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Andy Roddick (USA x6) bt Marc Gicquel (FRA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x5) bt Igor Andreev (RUS x25) 6-4, 7-5, 6-4; Gael Monfils (FRA x11) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT x24) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
WOMEN (THIRD ROUND) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x7) bt Melinda Czink (HUN) 6-1, 6-3; Samantha Stosur (AUS x30) bt Elena Dementieva (RUS x4) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x12) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-2, 6-4; Victoria Azarenka (BLR x9) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x22) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2; Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN x24) bt Lourdes Dominguez (ESP) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Virginie Razzano (FRA) bt Tathiana Garbin (ITA) 7-5, 7-5; Jelena Jankovic (SRB x5) bt Jarmila Groth (AUS) 6-1, 6-1.
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