Sunday 1 June 2014 21:57, UK
French Open favourite Maria Sharapova came from behind to reach the last eight with a 3-6 6-4 6-0 victory against Samantha Stosur.
When Sharapova dropped the opening set it looked like another shock was on the cards at Roland Garros but the 2012 champion toughed things out in the second and caught fire in the third.
Stosur's form in the first three rounds had been impressive but her head-to-head record against Sharapova was less than favourable at a 15-2 deficit.
It did not seem that way, however, in the opening set as Stosur dominated with her big serve and forehand and Sharapova was left scrambling around behind the baseline.
The pair traded breaks in the second set but Stosur cracked at 4-4, playing a terrible game which handed a break to Sharapova, who then held serve to take the set and level matters.
Sharapova also had the momentum heading into the decider and completely overwhelmed her opponent with a ruthless display of hitting. She will next face Garbine Muguruza, who defeated Pauline Parmentier 6-4 6-2.
Meanwhile, Carla Suarez Navarro will face Eugenie Bouchard in the quarter-finals of the French Open after both players won on Sunday.
Clay-court specialist Suarez Navarro clinched a comfortable 6-3 6-3 win over Croatia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, while rising Canadian star Bouchard thrashed eighth seed Angelique Kerber 6-1 6-2.
Bouchard is regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in tennis having reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, but the ease with which the 20-year-old dispatched Kerber came as a surprise.
Spaniard Suarez Navarro reached the last eight by ending the run of Tomljanovic, who had eliminated No 3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the previous round.
She is through to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the second time having reached the last eight six years ago on her first ever appearance in the main draw of a grand slam.
