Safina ousts Sharapova from French Open

Paris:

Maria Sharapova stumbled again at the French Open losing the final four games and 10 of the last 12 points.

Seeking the only Grand Slam title she has yet to win, the top-ranked Sharapova blew a big lead and lost to fellow Russian Dinara Safina in the fourth round on Monday, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Sharapova won five consecutive games in the second set to go ahead 5-2, and held a match point serving at 5-3. As Safina's comeback gained momentum, Sharapova was two points from victory three times, but she unraveled down the stretch and lost the final four games.

"It was all in her hands," Safina said. "Then suddenly it changed."

Safina, the younger sister of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, received a congratulatory text from her brother and said she hopes to join him as the winner of a major title.

"A dream of all our family," she said. "Once we do this, we can put the racket on the wall and say we did everything we could."

Safina, who also eliminated Sharapova in the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2006 and went on to the quarterfinals, next plays No. 7 Elena Dementieva.

Dementieva won another all-Russian matchup against No. 11 Vera Zvonareva, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.