Pole powers past sluggish Sharapova in stunning upset of holder

By Bill Scott Sep 1, 2007, 23:40 GMT

Number two Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts during her upset loss to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in their third round match on the sixth day of the 2007 US Open tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 01 September 2007. EPA/JUSTIN LANE

New York - Ousted holder Maria Sharapova was puzzling over the sudden disappearance of her US Open form after suffering a third-round upset at the hands of inspired Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday.

The Russian second seed found herself out during week one 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 as the number 32 underdog exploded into action to reverse a run of eight consecutive losing games in the second and third sets.

'It (my game) just wasn't there,' admitted two-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova, who will end this season without a title at one of the four majors after losing for only the fourth time in New York.

'You always try to find a way. Even though I won a lot of consecutive games, even though I was up a break, I just didn't feel it.

'I don't know if it was a combination of the circumstance or the wind or the opponent playing well. I don't know what it was. I just didn't quite feel like me out there.'

With the favourite virtually gone missing on court, the 18-year-old Radwanska held her nerve on the way to the biggest victory of her career.

The former junior French Open and Wimbledon winner said she sensed that Sharapova was having an off-day and pounced.

'It was so windy, and against the wind it was very tough to serve. I had a problem with my serve, but she made many mistakes and double faults,

'I think she was a little bit nervous.'

The loss was the earliest for a women's defending champion at Flushing Meadows since Svetlana Kuznetsova went out in the first round in 2005 after winning the trophy 12 months earlier.

Sharapova's shriek level his jet-engine pitch as she failed to stop the rot in a desperation final set. Her father-coach Yuri packed up and left the player box a few games from the inevitable end.

The Russian proved unable to shake off the Polish terrier as Radwanska pounced with a break for 3-2 after winning the first set and losing the second. She followed up for 5-2 as the seed failed to salvage four break points.

Sharapova contributed 49 unforced errors and struck a dozen double-faults, losing serve six times.

The underdog closed it out with her sixth straight winning game after losing eight in a row before her last turnaround.

Radwanska also got a huge crowd at the Ashe arena on her side as the end neared. 'I was thinking that everybody is going to be against me because she's a star, she's a top player. But I think it was different.

'Everybody is surprised when somebody can beat the winner of last year. It was a great feeling, but I was nervous on the centre court.'

Number six Anna Chakvetadze put a Russian seed into winning position as she ended the run of India's Sania Mirza 6-2, 6-3.

Up-and-coming Hungarian Agnes Szavay, losing finalist a week ago in new Haven, put out Russian seventh seed Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-4. Julia Vakulenko of the Ukraine defeated Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-2, 6-4.

On the men's side, fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko advanced into the second week over Spain's Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-0, 7-5.

The Russian won 11 games in a row to sweep the Spaniard. Davydenko, a 2007 semi-finalist came to the court after losing just 11 games and held his total down with the one-way win.