Wozniacki survives Pennetta challenge to reach quarters
Federer makes short work of Wawrinka to enter quarters
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Four-time champion Justine Henin showed nerves of steel to beat Maria Sharapova of Russia 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in their delayed French Open third-round match on Sunday.
With the match between two former world number ones held over at a set-all when darkness halted play on Saturday, Sharapova was quickest out of the blocks, racing to a 2-0 lead and then having Henin at 0-40 on the Belgian's serve.
But Henin, enjoying the majority of support from a crowd wrapped up against the chill wind, managed to hold on and then reeled off three more games to take a 4-2 lead in blustery conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Sharapova offered to extend the match further when she broke for 4-3 but time and again failed to come into the net when Henin was struggling at the back of the court.
Image: Justine Henin
Photographs: Reuters
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Henin kept the unforced errors down to a minimum and waited for her chance, sealing victory in two hours 10 minutes when a Sharapova backhand drifted wide.
"I was out of first serves," Henin said in a courtside interview after her first serve success rate slumped to 48 percent.
"She caught me cold and I was actually expecting it. I had to react, I was a bit slow.
"In the first set, my tactics paid off and then I let her take control. She is a champion. I have a lot of admiration for her. It was a good test. I am so happy to still have an opportunity to win here.
"It was a difficult third-round match, but I'm the world number 23 so I'm not spared by the draw."
She now faces Australian seventh seed Samantha Stosur for a place in the quarter-finals.
Image: Maria Sharapova
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Experienced Italian Francesca Schiavone reached the quarter-finals of the French Open for the first time in nine years when she beat Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday.
On a chilly Parisian morning, the 17th-seeded Schiavone, who featured in the claycourt Grand Slam last eight in 2001, was made to work by Kirilenko who knocked out defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the previous round.
The demonstrative Schiavone, who raised her arms in the air after a cunning lob and applauded a fine Kirilenko volley, ended the contest on her opponent's serve after one hour and 51 minutes.
She will next face World No 3 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
Image: Francesca Schiavone in action against Maria Kirilenko
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Second seed Venus Williams was unexpectedly sent packing from the French Open on Sunday when Russian 19th seed Nadia Petrova mastered the gusty conditions in a no-nonsense 6-4, 6-3 fourth-round win.
The American, a finalist in Paris in 2002, could not derail Petrova's consistent claycourt game on a windswept Centre Court as the Russian reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2005.
Petrova, who saved three match points in the previous round against local hope Aravane Rezai, made up for an early break in the second set and wrapped up the win after one hour and 30 minutes.
"It's my most dramatic French Open," Petrova, who reached the last four here in 2003 and 2005, told a courtside interviewer.
"Before yesterday's match I did not sleep all night. I'm very happy I came back strong on that Centre Court. I'm in very good condition physically."
Explaining her first defeat by Petrova in five meetings, Williams said her game had malfunctioned in the cold.
"I feel like I had a day where I wanted to hit the ball crosscourt and it went down the line, sometimes it happens," the 29-year-old said. "Sometimes when it's too cold it's hard to feel the racket."
Petrova will next face fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, the fifth seed, for a place in the semi-finals.
She has a 7-7 record against Dementieva.
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