After Nearly 5 Hours, Italian Wins Epic Match

But someday when Schiavone stops running (and grunting) and retires to further explore the many cities she enjoys, one of the tennis memories that will spring to mind first will surely be the low forehand volley she knocked into a finally open court on Sunday to finish off Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4, 1-6, 16-14, at the Australian Open.

But perhaps it is best not to reduce a 4-hour-44-minute test of character to a single shot. She and Kuznetsova hit so many — shaky and bold, routine and extraordinary — as they pushed each other to a place no women’s Grand Slam singles match had gone in the 43-year Open era.

“To live the moment was the most important thing for me,” Schiavone said.

When this fourth-round epic finally ended in the early evening at Hisense Arena, Schiavone had — depending on your point of view — saved six match points or Kuznetsova had squandered six.

But there can be no debate over how the sixth-seeded Schiavone finally won. She did it by taking chances and pushing forward to the net, rallying from an 0-30 deficit by serving and volleying and committing herself.

Schiavone, a 30-year-old with a lightweight frame and a heavyweight will, had already tried and failed to serve out the match on two occasions during the third set.

“The match could go either way so many times,” Kuznetsova said. “I think it just was really a day of Francesca. We both fight so hard the whole match, and the important moments she just played better. But statistically, I also felt like I was better player on the court. I played better. Just very disappointing.”

There have been much longer women’s matches on the regular tour, but until Sunday the longest recorded singles match in a Grand Slam was last year at the Australian Open, when Barbora Zahlavova Strycova defeated Regina Kulikova in a first-round match that lasted 4:19.

But Schiavone and Kuznetsova — also a former French Open champion — busted past that mark, and though the early stages of this match were nothing special, by the end the intensity and variety of the often-extended rallies were a fan’s delight.

It was also further confirmation that Schiavone has saved the best for the later stages of her career.

“I was watching the clock,” Schiavone said. “I said, ‘Brava, Francesca, you are tough physically.’ So it’s great for me, because I work to do this kind of thing.”

Major marathons, it seems, are becoming routine in tennis. Last year at Wimbledon, the American John Isner and France’s Nicolas Mahut set a men’s record when they pushed each other deeper and deeper into a fifth set that ended with Isner winning, 70-68. That match, in total, required 11 hours 5 minutes over three days.

Asked if they were going for the Isner-Mahut record, Kuznetsova said: “I tried, but apparently it didn’t work. She finish it earlier than I thought.”

Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion once ranked No. 2 in the world, arrived here seeded 23rd after a deflating 2010 season. But she was in top shape and proved it by defeating Justine Henin in the third round. She has one of the game’s best forehands and outstanding defensive skills, but for all her success she has never shaken her reputation for cracking under pressure.

The six match points she failed to convert Sunday will not help.

“I’m happy my memory is not that good,” she said. “In few days I will just forget. Well, this match I won’t forget for pretty long.”

Meanwhile, Schiavone can enjoy the memory and look forward to playing more matches. Her quarterfinal opponent will be the No. 1 seed, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who defeated Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia, 6-3, 6-4, earlier in the day.

RODDICK ELIMINATED Andy Roddick lost to 19th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in the fourth round, leaving the Australian Open without an American man or woman in singles.

Since Roddick’s victory at the United States Open in 2003, no American man has won a major.

Wawrinka advances to meet Roger Federer, who beat Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals at a major for the 27th straight time. He tied the Open era record held by Jimmy Connors.

Robin Soderling, a French Open finalist, was knocked out in the fourth round by Alexandr Dolgopolov, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Dolgopolov will face Andy Murray, who eliminated No. 11 Jürgen Melzer 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, closing with an ace.

No. 3 Novak Djokovic and No. 6 Tomas Berdych also won and will meet in the next round.

Among the women, No. 9 Li Na advanced, and will face No. 30 Andrea Petkovic, who defeated No. 14 Maria Sharapova. Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic downed No. 22 Flavia Pennetta of Italy, to move on against No. 2 Vera Zvonareva. (AP)