When asked if this was her best-ever result, Srebotnik, who has never progressed beyond the fourth round at a grand slam, said: “I would say so, definitely, because it’s in a grand slam.

“And it’s well deserved. I had to really dig in and save some break points, so I’m really happy.

“Obviously she’s tough when she’s serving well but once I got into the rally, I had no problem playing her.”

Hours after seeing her younger sibling bow out, eighth seed Venus Williams put in a below-par display in the Paris twilight to lose 7-5 6-3 to Italy’s Flavia Pennetta.

Unlike Venus Williams’ match, third seed Jelena Jankovic’s clash with Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova was suspended because of bad light, with the Serbian leading 7-5 4-2.

Jankovic had picked up the key break in the first set in the 11th game, and then held to love to take the set.

Agnieszka Radwanska, the 14th seed, lies in wait for the winner of that match after the Pole beat Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-4 6-4.

Earlier, second seed Ana Ivanovic defeated Caroline Wozniacki in a second successive grand slam event to progress through to the fourth round.

The Serbian was pushed all the way by the promising 17-year-old from Denmark in a pulsating first set but eventually eased to a 6-4 6-1 win on Philippe Chatrier court.

Ivanovic, a winner against Wozniacki in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, will next play Petra Cetkovska, who beat fellow Czech Iveta Benesova 6-3 6-3.

Leading 4-3 in the first set, Ivanovic saved five break points but double-faulted on her sixth as Wozniacki pegged her back.

But the teenager wasted the hard work of that game by losing her next serve to 15 to go 5-4 behind, and it was all Ivanovic from there.

“She gave me a tough match and I struggled with my rhythm,” said the Serb.

“But I feel I have my game and in the second set, I was feeling better and better. As the tournament progresses, you have to raise your level as you have tougher and tougher opponents.”

In the final few second-round games to be completed, top seed Maria Sharapova was taken to three sets before seeing off unseeded American Bethanie Mattek.

The Russian was a set ahead when her match was suspended on Thursday evening due to bad light.

Resuming 3-2 down in the second set, she lost her way and allowed Mattek to take it to a decider but Sharapova won 6-2 3-6 6-2.

It is the second time Sharapova, who will play 32nd seed Karin Knapp next, has been taken to three sets this year – in the first round, she won the decider 8-6 against compatriot Evgeniya Rodina.