• French Open, Day Four

Kuznetsova avoids embarrassing upset

Svetlana Kuznetsova was unconvincing as she edged past Andrea Petkovic © Getty Images

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Men's round-up: Day four
Day four gallery

Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was forced to save four match points as she narrowly escaped a humiliating second-round exit at the hands of world No. 41 Andrea Petkovic.

The No. 6 seed was made to pay for failing to make the most of her early chances, but eventually triumphed 4-6 7-5 6-4. She had plenty to time to contemplate her shortcomings in the opening set as a lengthy rain delay forced the players off court.

When play eventually resumed, Petkovic continued to force her opponent to make errors, and grabbed a crucial break, showing no signs of nerves as she forged three match points. Petkovic was on the verge on a memorable victory, but Kuznetsova refused to give in and saved four match points to stay in the match.

In an astonishing shift in momentum, Kuznetsova then served a love service game, forcing Petkovic to serve to stay in the set. But Kuznetsova was in the ascendancy, and she broke the German to take the match to a decider.

And she wasted no time in taking another lead, and it looked as if the final games would be mere formality as the defending champion moved towards the finish line. But if Kuznetsova thought Petkovic was going to roll over, she was wrong, as the German saved three match points of her own as the Russian was forced to work hard for her victory.

Kuznetsova will now meet fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko in the third round after the No. 30 seed claimed a 6-3 6-3 victory over Yvonne Meusburger.

Third seed Caroline Wozniacki had an easier time of things as she cruised into round three with a 6-3 6-1 win over Tathiana Garbin. The Dane hit just six unforced errors as she wrapped up a comfortable victory in 68 minutes.

After producing a dominant performance to defeat Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2 6-4, Venus Williams finds herself in the French Open third round - a stage of the competition she has struggled to get past in recent years.

Venus Williams was dominant from the back of the court © Getty Images

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The world No. 2 has exited the Roland Garros tournament in the round of 32 on each of the last three occasions she has competed.

It is hard to envisage a repeat performance on the evidence of her showing against Parra Santonja, who never looked capable of disrupting any aspect of Williams' game.

The French Open has been Williams' least successful of the Grand Slams - she has lost more games there than at any of the other three - but she showed no signs of struggle against an opponent ranked nearly 60 places beneath her.

With rain forecast, Williams appeared desperate to get the match completed as quickly as possible - the American took up base at the back of the court and looked to blast winners whenever the opportunity presented itself.

After controlling the first set, it took until the seventh game in the second stanza before Williams sealed the crucial break that sets up a third-round tie against Dominika Cibulkova.

Nadia Petrova demonstrated her ability to raise her game at the Grand Slams as she completed a one-sided victory against Agnes Szavay. The No. 19 seed, who beat Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova en route to the Australian Open quarter-final, pounced on the Szavay second serve to seal a straight-sets win.

Flavia Pennetta, who vanquished Anne Keothavong in the first round, completed a crushing 6-1 6-1 win over Roberta Vinci. No. 14 seed Pennetta, who won a clay title in Marbella last month, struck three times as many winners as her opponent across 57 minutes of action.

Another player coming into Roland Garros in good form is Aravane Rezai, who won the biggest tournament of her career at the Madrid Open a fortnight ago, and she delighted the French crowds as she moved past Angelique Kerber 6-2 2-6 6-3.

No. 31 seed Alexandra Dulgheru, playing in her first Roland Garros tournament, defeated Timea Bacsinszky and will now meet Wozniacki in round three.

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