Venus falls to Petrova

Second seed Venus Williams crashed to Russia's Nadia Petrova in the fourth round of the French Open yesterday, as four-time champion Justine Henin edged a tight battle with Maria Sharapova.

Williams, a runner-up in 2002, became the biggest casualty of the tournament so far when she lost 6-3, 6-4 to Petrova, the 19th seed, on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"It's the most dramatic Roland Garros of my career," said 27-year-old Petrova.

"I came through a really stressful situation yesterday and I'm so much happier with the way things went today."

Williams spurned two break points in the first set and Petrova made her pay for her profligacy by converting one of the two break points that came her way to take a one-set lead.

A netted forehand from Petrova, twice a semi-finalist, gave Williams an early break of serve in the second set but the Russian broke back and then broke again to take a 4-3 lead.

The Russian was 5-3 and 30-0 up on Williams's serve when she appeared to lose her nerve, miscuing a straightforward smash and netting a forehand, but she recovered to whip a forehand past the American on her first match point.

Petrova will meet compatriot Elena Dementieva, the fifth seed, for a place in the semi-finals.

Danish third seed Caroline Wozniacki, 19, came through an engaging three-hour scrap with Italy's 14th seed Flavia Pennetta to reach a quarter-final showdown with another Italian, Francesca Schiavone.

Wozniacki led 4-2 in the first set but allowed Pennetta to battle back to lead 5-4 and had to see off a set point before winning a first-set tie-break when the Italian scuttled a backhand into the net.

Pennetta levelled the match by winning a tense second-set tie-break but the nine-year age gap between the players finally told in the decider, as Wozniacki broke for a 4-2 lead before closing out a 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 victory.

Henin displayed all her trademark grit to see off fellow former world number one Sharapova, hitting back from 0-2 and 0-40 down in the last set to claim a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory that takes her into round four.

The Belgian 22nd seed will play Australian seventh seed Samantha Stosur for a last-eight berth.

"Maria is a champion. You can't give her any opportunities. I am happy to get through," said Henin, who is playing at Roland Garros for the first time since she last won the event in 2007 after coming out of retirement.

"It was a real good test. The journey continues and I'm pleased to have a chance to win here at Roland Garros."

Sharapova admitted the third game of the deciding set had been crucial.

"I had opportunities but it was frustrating not taking them," said the Russian superstar.

"I was a little too hesitant, but I know the things I need to do and I just want to get back on the court and work on them."

Federer through

Top seed and defending champion Roger Federer showed no mercy for best friend Stanislas Wawrinka when he handed his Olympic gold medal-winning team-mate a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 French Open thumping.

World number one Federer nows faces Robin Soderling, the Swedish fifth seed who he defeated in the final last year.

Soderling sent four-time champion Rafael Nadal crashing to a shock defeat in 2009 on his way to a first Grand Slam final, but Federer will be buoyed by his perfect record of 12 wins in 12 matches against the big-hitting Swede.

Soderling reached the quarter-finals with a brutal 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 demolition of Croatian 10th seed Marin Cilic.

French hopes of a first men's champion since Yannick Noah in 1983 fizzled out when eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was forced to retire from his last 16 clash with Russian 11th seed Mikhail Youzhny with a groin injury.

Youzhny had won the first set 6-2 before the Frenchman, who had entered Court Philippe Chatrier with a flamboyant clenched-fist gesture, needed treatment on his injury and then quit before the start of the second set.

Late result: T. Berdych (Czech Rep.) bt A. Murray (Great Britain) 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.