Second seed Maria Sharapova saved two match points before progressing into the quarter-finals of the French Open following an epic fourth-round clash against Patty Schnyder.
Maria who has been playing through pain at this year’s Roland Garros after her recent shoulder problems, held her nerve to claim a sensational 3-6 6-4 9-7 triumph, after more than two-and-a-half hours’ play on Suzanne Lenglen court.

Sharapova saved match points in the 10th and 14th games of the last set, only to clinch victory on the first of her own in the 16th and final game.

Schnyder, the 14th seed, will bemoan her failure to finish off Sharapova, the Swiss having served for the match on three occasions in the 77-minute final set.

Sharapova, who has never got past the quarter-finals at the Paris grand slam, will next play Russia’s Anna Chakvetadze after the ninth seed beat Lucie Safarova 6-4 0-6 6-2.