Helpless Dementieva stunned by Stosur

Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva [ Images ] was shown the exit at the French Open [ Images ] with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 defeat by Australian Samantha Stosur [ Images ] in the third round in Paris on Saturday.

The Olympic [ Images ] champion, who benefited from Jelena Dokic's [ Images ] retirement in the previous round while she was one set down, bowed out after two hours 12 minutes.

Stosur, seeded 30th, relied on a devastating forehand to break decisively in the eighth game of the first set.

Dementieva saved a set point as Stosur netted a routine volley but she was outwitted when the Australian came to the net after a weak service return.

Dementieva was the first to hold serve for 3-2 in the second set and she hung on to level the contest on her second set point when Stosur overcooked a forehand.

The Australian raced to a 4-0 lead in the decider and prevailed on her second match point with another forehand winner, setting up a fourth round meeting with either Italian Tathiana Garbin or France's [ Images ] Virginie Razzano.