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Varvara Lepchenko upends ex-champ

Jun 2, 2012 7:46 PM ETESPN.com news services
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PARIS -- Unseeded Varvara Lepchenko of the United States stunned 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 3-6, 6-3, 8-6 in the third round at Roland Garros on Saturday.

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The 63rd-ranked Lepchenko never had made it beyond the second round at any Grand Slam tournament.

But she rallied to eliminate Schiavone, who was the runner-up at last year's French Open, in a match that lasted 3 hours, 2 minutes.

Second-seeded Maria Sharapova and defending champion Li Na also advanced while former top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki was knocked out and called the officiating a "disgrace."

Lepchenko joins Sloane Stephens, who won Friday, to give the U.S. two unseeded women in the fourth round at a major tournament for the first time since Wimbledon in 2002.

She had 44 unforced errors against Schiavone, but still managed to advance.

"It's her court, you know," Lepchenko said. "I knew that she's not going to give it for free. I had to work really hard, and I did."

Lepchenko was born in Uzbekistan and now lives in Allentown, Pa. She became a U.S. citizen last year.

Sharapova moved into the round of 16 with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Peng Shuai.

"In the next round, it starts from 0-0. Whoever you're playing, you have to go and try and do the same thing," Sharapova said. "There are a lot more rounds to go. It just gets tougher from this point."

[+] EnlargeVarvara LepchenkoAP Photo/Michel EulerVarvara Lepchenko, who was born in Uzbekistan but became a U.S. citizen last year, rallied vs. Francesca Schiavone in a match that lasted 3 hours, 2 minutes.

Sharapova, who needs a championship at Roland Garros to complete the career Grand Slam, has lost only five games in three matches so far in Paris.

Her next opponent is Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic, who defeated 22nd-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 7-5.

Li needed three sets to stop American Christina McHale.

The seventh-seeded Li, who last year became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title, rallied to beat McHale 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Li committed 44 unforced errors in her match, 20 more than her unseeded opponent.

The last woman to successfully defend her title at Roland Garros was Justine Henin, who won three straight from 2005-07.

Meanwhile, Wozniacki lost to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-1, 6-7 (3) 6-3, calling the officiating a "disgrace" after her third-round exit.

The Dane argued several line calls, including a ball that was judged to have hit the baseline early in the second set.

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Need the scores and stats from today's matches at the French Open? Courtcast

"It's a disgrace that mistakes like this are made," Wozniacki said. "It wasn't even like, 'Could have been in, could have been out.' It was clearly out."

The call came at 1-1 in the second set with Kanepi holding a break point. Wozniacki argued with chair umpire Poncho Ayala of Spain, who agreed with the original call that the ball hit the line.

"How can you sit there and be so arrogant?" Wozniacki said to Ayala. "Have you gone to school?"

After coming back to win the second set, Wozniacki again argued a line call in the third.

Kanepi, who finally won on her fifth match point despite being broken four times while serving for the match, said she wasn't affected by the uproar.

"Well, I think that those things happen in tennis matches, so it's OK if she wants to argue," Kanepi said. "I have to be ready for that and take it easy."

Wozniacki finished the last two years as the top-ranked player but has never won a Grand Slam title. Her best result at a major tournament was a runner-up finish at the 2009 U.S. Open.

Wozniacki has dropped to No. 9 in the rankings and has not won a title yet this year. She recently hired 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson as coach.

Also Saturday, fourth-seeded Petra Kvitova advanced by beating Nina Bratchikova of Russia 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.

Kvitova is the only player ranked in the top 10 that has not yet reached a final this year. But she missed some tournaments with injury and illness.

"I had already a tough season. After Australia I was really injured and I couldn't play," said Kvitova, who won her first Grand Slam title at last year's Wimbledon. "So I'm happy that I can play right now and I can be healthy and play my tennis again."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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French Open 2012

2011 champions
Women's singles:

Li Na
Men's singles:
Rafael Nadal
Women's doubles:
Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka
Men's doubles:
Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor
Mixed doubles:
Casey Dellacqua and Scott Lipsky
CourtCast
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Day 16
    • Nadal captures record 7th French title
    • Bryant: Rafa overcomes rain and Djoker
    • Bryant: Rafael Nadal's belief restored
    • Rafa ecstatic with win ESPN Video
Day 15
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    • Garber: The painful wait for history
    • Which player benefits from the delay? ESPN Video
Day 14
    • Garber: A sterling career for Maria Sharapova
    • Gerstner: Sharapova sensational in win
    • Garber: Bryan Brothers still in the hunt
    • Bryant: History will fall, one way or the other
    • Bodo: Djoker needs a lot of help
    • Hot Button: Who will win the men's final?
    • SportsNation: Who do you think will win?
    • Analysis: Sharapova finally does it ESPN Video
    • 5 things we learned from the final ESPN Video
    • What now for Sharapova? ESPN Video
    • Digital Serve: Men's final preview ESPN Video
Day 13
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    • Garber: Djokovic thriving under pressure
    • Bryant: Nadal draining all the suspense
    • Bodo: Will this be easy peasy for Sharapova?
    • Hot Button: Who will win the women's final?
    • Gerstner: Five things to know about the final
    • Nadal, Djoker clobber opponents ESPN Video
    • Digital Serve: Women's final preview ESPN Video
Day 12
    • Maria Sharapova, Sara Errani reach final
    • Gerstner: Sharapova back on top
    • Garber: Slam of a lifetime for Sara Errani
    • Garber: Why Nadal needs to break his habits
    • Bryant: Tough foes, pressure in Djoker's way
    • Gerstner: Missing the mark on Ladies' Day
    • Can anyone stop Nadal? ESPN Video
    • Sharapova, Errani in final ESPN Video
    • Sharapova dominates Kvitova ESPN Video
    • Errani stuns Stosur ESPN Video
    • Digital Serve: Day 13 preview ESPN Video
    • Garber/Gerstner: 5 things we learned ESPN Video
Day 11
    • Recaps: Men | Women
    • Gerstner: Sharapova, Kvitova to play
    • Gerstner: A feast for the eyes
    • Garber: Ferrer belongs in the semifinals
    • Bryant: Rafa raising his level at crunch time
    • Tandon: The strength of Slammin' Sammy
    • Federer recovering ESPN Video
    • Nadal rolls to the semifinals ESPN Video
    • Digital Serve: Women's semifinal preview ESPN Video
    • Murray falls to Ferrer ESPN Video
    • Sharapova breezes into semifinals ESPN Video
Day 10
    • Recaps: Men | Women
    • Bryant: How Novak Djokovic cheated death
    • Garber: Better late than never, Federer
    • Gerstner: Errani, Stosur short and sweet
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    • Federer makes remarkable comeback ESPN Video
    • How did Djoker, Federer do it? ESPN Video
    • Digital Serve: Day 11 preview ESPN Video
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Day 9
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    • Bryant: City of Lights? Tell that to Tsonga
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    • Tandon: Djoker, Fed looking pedestrian
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Day 8
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    • Gerstner: Bittersweet ending for Stephens
    • Garber: Djoker avoids same fate as Vika
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