Venus Sets; Davenport, Dementieva Escape at French Open

"Obviously it's not ideal," Davenport said. "I mean, every match has gone three sets. I've struggled in all of them. But I'm starting to think that it could be one of my -- not best but one of my greatest achievements in a while just to be able to still be here and still be playing."

Davenport's next opponent will be one she struggles regularly to beat in Kim Clijsters.

"I have a tough time playing her on my favorite surface let alone my less favorite, on clay," Davenport said. "You know, hopefully things start to click at some point and I feel a little bit better about my ball control. Who knows? I mean, she is a great player. She gives me all sorts of trouble with how she plays. I'm going to have to try and play a lot better and do some things differently."

Precocious Bulgarian teen Sesil Karatantcheva stunned No. 11 seed Venus Williams 6-1 in the third for her biggest pro win.

"I think she played well, definitely, but I also felt like, if I just played 10 percent better, I'm going to win this match easy," said Venus in typical Williams' sister graciousness.

After beating sister Serena earlier this year, Venus seemed to regain her fire and even said a return to the No. 1 ranking was a "given," but after the loss to Karatantcheva the elder Williams sister showed she is far from the hungry player who once reigned at the top spot on the WTA Tour Rankings.

"It's fairly disappointing," said Venus, who dropped serve an amazing nine times. "I'm ready to leave. I have nothing else to do here -- no doubles, no mixed. I'm just ready to go."

In the third set Karatantcheva ran to a 5-0 lead before closing it out 6-1.

"I feel like, you know, I'm a great player," said Venus, who inexplicably did her best to look disinterested at many key points during the match. "This is just not the best result for me right now."

The outspoken Karatantcheva, ranked No. 98, says her 'Id' was surprised by the win, but her 'Ego' was not.

"It seems like a dream for me, you know, just kind of feeling what it's like to really have a win over a great player," Karatantcheva said. "But in a way it's not because, I mean, I have such big goals that I probably would be a bit disappointed if I lost."

Another three-set winner was defending runner-up Elena Dementieva, who dropped the middle set against Japan's Akiko Morigami before recovering in the third.

No. 14 seed Kim Clijsters, who has been in punishing form even though entering Roland Garros with a knee injury, again advanced with a straight set win, defeating No. 20 Daniela Hantuchova.

"At the moment, I'm not saying I'm feeling great out there, like I did in Indian Wells or Miami," Clijsters said. "But, you know, I'm working my way into my matches, and I'm winning them. I haven't lost a set yet, so I'm not complaining."

Other seeded players into the fourth round were (8) Patty Schnyder (d. (32) Pennetta from a set down), (16) Elena Likhovtseva (d. (18) Farina Elia), and (21) Mary Pierce (d. (9) Zvonareva).

One match was halted due to darkness, with Emilie Loit and Emmanuelle Gagliardi tied at one-set all.

Scheduled Saturday for the women are (17) Tatiana "Hot Pants" Golovin vs. (12) Bovina, (3) Mauresmo vs. (29) Ivanovic, (2) Sharapova vs. Chakvetadze, (13) Dechy vs. Llagostera Vives, (6) Kuznetsova vs. Irvin, (10) Henin-Hardenne vs. Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues, (22) Schiavone vs. Groenefeld, and (7) Petrova vs. Peer.