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Sharapova survives Schnyder epic

Maria Sharapova is battling through her shoulder problems at this year's French Open
Maria Sharapova is battling through her shoulder problems at this year's French Open

Second seed Maria Sharapova saved two match points before progressing into the quarter-finals of the French Open following an epic fourth-round clash against Patty Schnyder.

The Russian, who has been playing through pain at this year's Roland Garros after her recent shoulder problems, held her nerve to claim a sensational 3-6 6-4 9-7 triumph, after more than two-and-a-half hours' play on Suzanne Lenglen court.

Sharapova saved match points in the 10th and 14th games of the last set, only to clinch victory on the first of her own in the 16th and final game.

Schnyder, the 14th seed, will bemoan her failure to finish off Sharapova, the Swiss having served for the match on three occasions in the 77-minute final set.

Sharapova, who has never got past the quarter-finals at the Paris grand slam, will next play Russia's Anna Chakvetadze after the ninth seed beat Lucie Safarova 6-4 0-6 6-2.

Safarova, of the Czech Republic, came into the match buoyed by her surprise win over home favourite Amelie Mauresmo on Saturday, but she could not repeat her exploits 24 hours later.

It is only the second time Chakvetadze has reached the last eight of a grand-slam event.

Elsewhere, Jankovic, another Serb, set up a quarter-final against Vaidisova by running through France's Marion Bartoli 6-1 6-1 in 64 minutes.

The quarter-final lineup for the  women's singles at the French Open. Matches to be played on Tuesday:
   Justine Henin (BEL x1) v Serena Williams (USA x8)
   Jelena Jankovic (SRB x4) v Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x6)
   Ana Ivanovic (SRB x7) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x3)
   Anna Chakvetadze (RUS x9) v Maria Sharapova (RUS X2)

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