American teenager Melanie Oudin staged another major upset to reach the US Open fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
Maria Sharapova, the 2006 women's singles winner and seeded 29th this year as she continues her return from shoulder surgery, put in a woeful service performance, committing 21 double faults, winning on only 30 per cent of her second serves, and being broken eight times by Oudin.
For the 17-year-old wild card, though, it was a red letter day at Arthur Ashe Stadium as she completed a 6-3 4-6 7-5 victory in just under three hours.
Oudin, ranked 70th in the world, had come into the match with a reputation for giant-killing feats having knocked out Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon and eliminated fourth seed Elena Dementieva on Thursday in the second round.
Sharapova, though, was a grand slam winner and perhaps her greatest scalp so far.
Having broken Oudin in the first game of the match and then held her opening service game to take a 2-0 lead, the American fought back to 2-2.
The teenager, though, dropped her next service game as Sharapova took charge, despite her own continuing problems with double faults.
One of the consequences of Sharapova's shoulder problems, that had forced her to miss last year's US Open, was the development of new, abbreviated serve motion and the 22-year-old had come into the tournament still trying to adapt successfully to it.
The issues remained though as the Russian racked up seven double faults on her way to the first set and had only 52 per cent first serve rate.
Oudin, though was not about to lie down and took control of the second set early, breaking Sharapova again in the third game to take a 2-1 lead.
A second break came in the fifth game as Sharapova produced her 11th double fault of the match and when Oudin held she took a 5-1 lead into the seventh game. Sharapova claimed one break back but Oudin levelled the match.
Sharapova's serving woes continued in the deciding set as she opened with a double fault and was broken in the first game.
Oudin won the fourth game with an ace to take a 3-1 lead and there was further trouble for the seeded player in the next game as she coughed up six break points before finally holding serve.
Sharapova requested a trainer, who began stretching the right-hander's arm, elbow and shoulder during an eight-minute medical timeout.
The break in play served its purpose in more ways than one as Sharapova returned to break Oudin and get back on track.
The 29th seed's service woes did not subside however, and a 17th double fault gave Oudin the chance to earn triple break point. This time she took her chance and resumed control of the set, stretching Sharapova during a long rally before putting away a forehand winner to go 4-3 up.
Back came the Russian, breaking her American rival to tie things up and then serving an ace at the start of the ninth game, only to follow it with two more double faults to hand another break point to Oudin.
The teenager relished the opportunity and slammed down a backhand service return winner to once again gain the upper hand.
If Oudin was going to win the match on her serve she would have to halt the run of four consecutive breaks of service and she quickly conceded break point to Sharapova, who put away a forehand winner on the charge.
Still the double faults came on her own serve though, number 20 contributing to Oudin earning three more break points.
The American missed a superb chance when she volleyed wide at the net with Sharapova stranded but she did not have to lift her racquet to secure the break as the Russian clattered the net with her second serve.
At 6-5, Oudin once more served for the match. She double faulted but moved to 30-15 when the Russian netted a forehand, and match point soon followed to huge roars from the Ashe crowd.
It got even louder when Oudin sent a serve down the middle that had Sharapova at full stretch to return and with the Russian out of position, Oudin smashed a forehand winner from the net to seal a famous victory.
Oudin will next meet 13th seed Nadia Petrova of Russia, who beat China's Ze Zheng 6-4 6-1, with a place in the quarter-finals the prize.
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