French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Date: 23 May-6 June
Coverage: Live video streamed from 1000 BST on BBC Sport website (UK only) and BBC red button; commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra; also live on Eurosport; text commentary on BBC Sport website Details of BBC coverage  The defending champion lost out in the fading light at Roland Garros
Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova crashed out of the French Open in three sets to 30th-seeded Maria Kirilenko. The Russian pair shared the opening two sets before Kirilenko, 23, held her nerve to win 6-3 2-6 6-4 and set up a last-16 clash with Francesca Schiavone. World number one Serena Williams, sister Venus and Justine Henin all won. Serena beat Julia Goerges, while four-time champion Henin defeated Klara Zakopalova to set up a mouth-watering clash with Maria Sharapova. Belgium's 27-year-old Henin, who ended her 20-month retirement in January, needed just four games to complete her 6-3 6-3 win in a match carried over from Thursday. Resuming at 6-3 and 3-2, she immediately broke the Czech's serve and resisted a mini fightback from Zakopalova to ease through. The 22nd seed's winning streak at the French Open is now 23 matches and 39 consecutive sets meaning she has not lost a match at this venue since 2004. Henin's next opponent Sharapova, who has struggled with injuries this year, overcame Kirsten Flipkens 6-3 6-3 and said on her next game: "We've had some battles and I've had some tough losses and some great wins, so I look forward to this one."  | 606: DEBATE |
Sixth seed Kuznetsova suffered a major upset 12 months after winning the Roland Garros trophy but was lucky to even be facing Kirilenko having faced three match points against Andrea Petkovic on Wednesday. Kuznetsova, who beat Dinara Safina to win the title for the first time last year, levelled the match with Kirilenko after going a set down and had to overcome two more match points in the gloom on Court One on Friday night. But Kutzenova pushed a backhand wide to hand her Russian compatriot the victory, who will next face Italian Schiavone who saw off China's 11th seed Na Li in straight sets. "I didn't come here with my best game, but I gave my all and I fought all I could," said Kuznetsova. "You cannot play great all the time. It's up and downs. I haven't been playing well this clay court season or this season. It happens and I'll be back. It's just a matter of time." Serena, eyeing a first Roland Garros title since 2002, dominated Germany's 77th ranked Goerges throughout and took just 55 minutes to set up a tie with 29th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who beat American Jill Craybas. In other women's matches, number two seed Venus Williams eased past Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, 26th seed, 6-3 6-4 in the third round, and fifth seed Elena Dementieva, runner-up in 2004, dug deep to beat Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak in three sets. Third seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark looked in impressive form in a 6-3 6-4 win against Romanian 31st seed Alexandra Dulgheru, who won in Warsaw last week. Other second round ties saw seventh seed Australian Sam Stosur beat Rossana de los Rios, while Russian Anastasia Pivovarova overcame China's 25th seed Zheng Jie 6-4 6-3. In an all-French battle, Marion Bartoli beat Olivia Sanchez 7-5 6-2, 23rd seed Daniela Hantuchova defeated Olga Govortsova, while Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer (ranked 16) had a struggle but finally beat Austrian Sybille Bammer 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 7-5.
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