• US Open, Day Five

Sharapova toppled by Pennetta

Flavia Pennetta powers down a backhand © PA Photos

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Maria Sharapova paid the price for an error-strewn performance as she crashed out of the US Open at the hands of Flavia Pennetta.

Pennetta is not the biggest of hitters, but she repeatedly kept the ball in play and while Sharapova sent winners flying past her on regular occasions, there were more mistakes that came off the Russian's racket - 60 in all - and resulted in the Italian claiming a 6-3 3-6 6-4 win.

The tone for the match was set in the first game as Sharapova surrendered her serve. She got the break back mid-way through the set, but her serve faltered at 3-3 and a weak forehand handed Pennetta the advantage and she closed out the set.

Sharapova produced her best passage of play at the start of the second set, hitting winners and chasing down lost causes and she raced into a 3-0 lead. Pennetta hit back and breaks of serve were traded throughout the remainder of the set, but Sharapova held at 5-3 to level the contest.

The Russian's decibel level, which gradually increased through the second set, almost went off the scale at the start of the third as she lost three games in a row, all drawn-out affairs.

Sharapova fought superbly to get the match back on serve but at 4-5 the serve let her down. She started with two double faults - her 11th and 12th of the match - and at 0-30 Pennetta chanced her arm, firing a forehand winner to set up three match points. And she completed the job with a glorious backhand winner to seal the biggest shock of the tournament to date.

The No.2 seed Vera Zvonareva had to dig deep to claim a 6-4 7-5 win over Anabel Medina Garrigues. The Russian, the beaten finalist 12 months ago, produced flashes of real quality but was also prone to errors and lapses in concentration.

She had an altercation with the umpire over a late call for a review and in the past such incidents have caused her to topple mentally. On this occasion she shrugged off the controversy and produced some quality tennis to take the opening set. Medina Garrigues, the conqueror of Laura Robson in the previous round, found some form in the second set as Zvonareva faltered but the Spaniard's game fell away after levelling the set and the Russian was able to cross the line.

Her compatriot Maria Kirilenko encountered no such problems against hometown favourite Christina McHale during the evening session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The No. 25 seed had all the answers against the American, dominating in every aspect to claim a 6-2 6-3 triumph.

Sam Stosur won an epic battle against Russian Nadia Petrova 7-6(5) 6(5)-7 7-5 to progress to the fourth round. The No. 9 seed claimed the longest women's match at the US Open since the invention of the tiebreak on her fifth match point.

Monica Niculecsu powered into the fourth round for the loss of just one game, with the Romanian toppling 27th seed Lucie Safarova 6-0 6-1, while Angelique Kerber dropped just four games in beating Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3 6-1.

Peng Shuai produced another solid display to complete a 6-4 7-6(1) win over Julia Goerges. Sabine Lisicki dominated American Irina Falconi, with the 22nd seed picking up a comfortable 6-0 6-1 win in just 52 minutes.

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