NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Vera Zvonareva reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open Friday and Maria Sharapova, in a surprise, was eliminated in three sets.
Zvonareva, twice a runner-up but never a winner at a major championship, earned a spot in the round of 16 by defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 7-5. Zvonareva lost in the finals here last year to Kim Clijsters.
Sharapova, seeded third, fell to 26th seed Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Sharapova finished second at Wimbledon this summer and won last month in Cincinnati.
A pair of unseeded players set up a fourth-round meeting with straight-set victories. Monica Niculescu ousted Lucie Safarova 6-0, 6-1 and Angelique Kerber took out Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-1. Either Niculescu or Kerber will play in the quarterfinals next week.
Zvonareva's fourth-round opponent will be Sabine Lisicki, who drubbed Irina Falconi 6-0, 6-1. Pennetta will next meet Peng Shuai, who got past Julia Goerges 6-4, 7-6 (7-1).
Maria Kirilenko also advanced, by ending the run of Christina McHale with a 6-2, 6-3 victory.
