Never-say-die Sharapova battles on at French Open

TENNIS: Maria Sharapova saved three match points in a battling performance on Sunday to defeat Switzerland's Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-4, 9-7 and reach the last eight of the French Open.

It was a courageous effort from the 20-year-old Russian who is still feeling the effects of a shoulder injury that required a cortisone injection and left her on the sidelines for two months.

Three times the vastly experienced Schnyder, playing in her 44th Grand Slam tournament, served for the match and three times Sharapova went on the offensive to thwart her.

Finally she managed to hold her own serve and for the fourth time in a row she captured Schnyder's service, leaping for joy when the Swiss hit wide on match point. The fourth round tie had lasted two and a half hours.

"It was very exciting and even if I had lost the match I would have done an amazing job of fighting and getting myself back into the match," said Sharapova.

"I figured I wasn't going to beat her by being a claycourt player because I am just not a claycourt player so I just started coming in and going for my shots.

"I figured if I was going to lose this match I would lose it on my own terms." The late evening match was marred by a series of incidents that resulted in Sharapova being roundly jeered by Schnyder's fans in the Suzanne Lenglen Court crowd, but the Russian said this had not bothered her.

"It's pretty hard being a tennis player and Mother Theresa at the same time and that's just the way it is," she commented.

Sharapova will play fellow Russian Anna Chakvatedze in the quarter-finals with a first ever semi-final appearance at Roland Garros her potential reward.

"I had a tough one against her in Australia and I have never played her on clay," she said.

PARIS, Monday, AFP