Gabashvili shocks Roddick at French Open

Paris:

Sixth seed Andy Roddick was stunned by an inspired performance from Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili, the world number 114, in the third round of the French Open here on Saturday.

Gabashvili won 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, having never previously progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam, and will meet Spanish ninth seed David Ferrer or Austrian 22nd seed Juergen Melzer for a place in the quarter-finals.

Former world number one Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, skipped this year's entire claycourt season for personal reasons and has never got past the last 16 stage at Roland Garros.

Gabashvili put Roddick's famous serve under pressure from the off, spurning three breaks points in the American's second service game but then breaking for a 4-3 lead with a deft backhand drop shot.

The Russian served out for the set and clinched the second set after converting the third of three break points in game nine.

The 25-year-old established control of the third set by breaking the off-colour Roddick twice in the opening three games and he went on to complete the biggest victory of his career in a time of one hour and 54 minutes.

Gabashvili's compatriot Mikhail Youzhny, the 11th seed, will face French eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round after completing a 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-3 win over Serbia's Viktor Troicki held over from Friday.

Later on Saturday, second seed Rafael Nadal continues his bid for a fifth Roland Garros title when he takes on Australian former world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic faces Romanian Victor Hanescu, the 31st seed, with Nadal's Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco, seeded seventh, meeting German 30th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber.