PARIS: After wasting two match points in the second set and feeling her confidence fading, Kim Clijsters let the match slip away Thursday at the French Open. The two-time French Open runner-up, seeded second at this year's tournament, lost to the 114th-ranked Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. “I started doubting a little bit,” said Clijsters, who was playing only her second match since a right ankle injury knocked her out of action. “When you start doubting yourself on any surface, but for me definitely on clay, it's the wrong attitude to have.” Maria Sharapova also struggled, but the seventh-seeded Russian won 11 straight games after trailing 4-1 in the second set and beat 17-year-old Caroline Garcia of France 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. No. 4 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, No. 6 Li Na of China and No. 9 Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic also advanced. The 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska also reached the third round by overcoming India's Sania Mirza. On the men's side, five-time champion Rafael Nadal, Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray, two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling and No. 10 Mardy Fish of the United States reached the third round, but No. 8 Jurgen Melzer of Austria lost in five sets to Czech qualifier Lukas Rosol. Clijsters, who had won her last 15 Grand Slam matches after taking the titles at last year's US Open and this year's Australian Open, failed to convert either match point in the second set. Playing with her right ankle taped, the Belgian made 65 unforced errors in the match and lost 11 of the final 12 games. Rus finished with only 22 unforced errors and had only eight winners in the entire match. “My ankle feels fine, so that has absolutely nothing to do with it,” Clijsters said. Clijsters had her first chance to close out the match against the Dutchwoman when leading 5-2 in the second set, but Rus saved the match point and held to make it 5-3 before breaking Clijsters to get back on serve. Clijsters then had another match point in the 10th game, but Rus saved it again and eventually pushed the score to 5-5. With the momentum shifting, Clijsters double-faulted for the seventh time — one of her 28 unforced errors in the set — to allow Rus to break and serve out the second set. Rus, the 2008 Australian Open junior champion, reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. A few hours later on the same center court, Sharapova was at first outplayed by Garcia, a French wild card who was the youngest player remaining in the women's draw. “She played unbelievable in the first set and a half,” Sharapova said. But despite the strong wind on Court Philippe Chatrier, Sharapova was able to get her game under control and take charge. Garcia was playing in only her second Grand Slam tournament, and second tour-level tournament overall. She already has at least one fan. “Girl sharapova is playing is going to be No. 1 in world one day caroline garcia, what a player u heard it here 1st,” Murray tweeted after he beat Simone Bolelli of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-5. Two days after Nadal was pushed to five sets for the first time in his career at Roland Garros, the top-ranked Spaniard won in three, beating Pablo Andujar of Spain 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (4). “Probably I am playing a little bit nervous,” Nadal said. “And that's why (my) legs didn't work as well as usual.” Nadal trailed 5-1 in the third set but forced the tiebreaker. He will next face Antonio Veic of Croatia, who eliminated No. 28 Nikolay Davydenko 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
