Oh sister! Serena and Venus crash out of the French Open

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A new champion is guaranteed this year after 2002 winner Serena played an awful match to lose 6-4, 6-4 to World No 24 Katarina Srebotnik.

Venus Williams reacts as she plays Italy's Flavia Pennetta during their third round match of the French Open

Her mood would have darkened further later on when, in virtual twilight at 9.50pm, her elder sibling, and Wimbledon champion, Venus crashed 7-5, 6-3 in 85 minutes to Italy's Flavia Pennetta, ranked No 30.

Venus, never comfortable on clay, had been left to fly the Williams flag after 25 unforced errors contributed to her sister's defeat against inspired Slovenian Srebotnik, over whom she had a 3-0 record.

What will worry Serena is that she has been more committed to the sport this year and played almost a full programme of events, yet this third-round exit followed a last-eight demise in Australia.

She said: "I felt good this morning, had a good practice and was hoping to get better with every match but she was making some shots she's never made before, otherwise she would probably be in the top two."

A trend has emerged whereby the top women's players have been unimpressive in the first week and it may have something to do with Henin's retirement raising the stakes by leaving the competition wide open.

After flirting with an early departure in the first round, top seed Maria Sharapova hardly set Paris on fire in the second, either, yesterday being taken to three sets by America's World No 106 Bethanie Mattek, before winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

Second seed Ana Ivanovic, who may now consider her fellow Serb Jelena Jankovic as her main rival for the title, beat Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-1.