To complete a miserable day for the United States, Lindsay Davenport also crashed out abandoning her match against Spanish veteran Conchita Martinez in the second set with a foot injury.

But at least top seed and title-holder Serena Williams went through setting up an intriguing quarter-final tie with the darling of the home crowd Amelie Mauresmo as did another American Chanda Rubin.

There were quarter-final berths also for Belgian pair Kim Clijsters, the second seed and Justine Henin-Hardenne, seeded fourth.

The shock of the day was the exit of third-seed Venus Williams.

Out of action for several weeks due to a stomach strain she came to Paris short of prepartion and after a reasonable start against 18-year-old Zvonareva, it showed only too clearly as she went down 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

It was one of the biggest setbacks of the 22-year-old's career and comes after she had reached the finals of the last four Grand Slam events, losing each time to sister Serena.

Zvonareva whooped with joy as Williams hit a final backhand wide and she was given a standing ovation after the American had left the court to a chorus of whistles.

"If you go on to the court and don't think you can win you won't win. I believed in my chances," said the Russian.

"I was playing really good today and was fighting for every ball."

After making 12 double faults and 75 unforced errors, Williams admitted: "I was really off.

"It's very disappointing but there is nothing I can do about it. I just have to move on to the next tournament."

Capriati soon followed, gunned down in a topsy-turvy 2hr match 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 by Petrova, a tall Muscovite who had given her enough trouble already in the Rome Masters earlier this month.

The 2001 French Open champion struggled to cope with Petrova's weight of shot, although she seemed to have rallied when she won the second set and stood 2-0 up in the decider. But it all went wrong for her from there on in.

"I was playing pretty well then and I through she was getting tired, but I had a couple of loose games and she started getting back into the same rhythm as she had before," said the New Yorker.

"That's the best I have seen her play and if she can keep playing like that she can go pretty far in the tournament."

Petrova, whose father was a hammer-thrower and whose mother won bronze in the 400 metres relay at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, said it was the biggest win of her career and that she had gained confidence from the match in Rome.

Davenport had already been hampered with the trapped nerve in her left foot needing courtside treatment in her third round encounter with France's Nathalie Dechy.

Already trailing 6-4, 2-0 she called it a day and said she would concentrate on trying to be fit for Wimbledon.

"It was hurting too much for me to be able to play the way I have to play to beat people out there," she said.

"I had been in good shape but with something like that happening there is nothing you can do about it. It's obviously very sad."

Serena Williams and Mauresmo won through in contrasting styles, the American below her best in defeating Japan's Ai Sugiyama 7-5, 6-3, and Mauresmo imperial in trouncing Spain's Magui Serna 6-1, 6-2.

They fired off the first verbal shots for their clash on Tuesday.

Asked if she was apprehensive at all about playing before a packed centre court devoted to Mauresmo whose popularity in France is at an all-time high, Williams was sanguine.

"I have played in the most hostile arenas possible so it won't bother me at all," she said.

Mauresmo said she would discuss her tactics for the match with coach Loic Courteau on Monday.

"I saw the start of her match today," she said of Serena. "She was hesitant and made a lot of faults.

"It will be up to me to grab the chance if it is the same thing on Tuesday," she said.

Mauresmo beat Williams in the last match they played, the semi-final of the Rome Masters earlier this month.

Clijsters was involved in a curious match, losing the first set to love in just 19 minutes to Magdalena Maleeva before swatting her aside in the other two to go through 0-6, 6-2, 6-1.

It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance from the 19-year-old, usually a model of consistency and who had beaten Maleeva comfortably the three previous times the players met.