Top seeds continue to tumble as Caroline Wozniacki and Samantha Stosur follow Kim Clijsters out

THE women's French Open has been blown wide open with defeats for world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki and last year's runner-up Samantha Stosur.

After Kim Clijsters' exit on Thursday, Wozniacki's 6-1 6-3 thrashing by Daniela Hantuchova means it is the first time since 1971 that the top two seeds at Roland Garros have gone out before the fourth round in the women's singles.

Wozniacki, whose only appearance in a grand slam final came at the US Open in 2009, has now spent 32 weeks as world No 1 and is guaranteed to hang onto that position whatever happens in Paris. The 20-year-old's schedule has also been questioned, with Wozniacki choosing to play in Brussels - a tournament she won - the week before the French Open, but she again shrugged off both issues.

Asked about the continued focus on the fact she has not won a grand slam, the Dane said: "It really doesn't matter. I know what I'm capable of and I know I'm a great player. I'm doing well. I'm happy about my schedule and I'm feeling fine."

Stosur looked to have turned things round after a dreadful start against Gisela Dulko but from a break up in the decider she fell apart and the Argentine clinched a 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory.

Third seed Vera Zvonareva, meanwhile, avenged last year's second-round defeat by beating Anastasia Rodionova 6-2 6-3.

In the men's draw, Roger Federer served notice of the danger he could pose at the French Open this year with a terrific performance to beat 29th seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in the third round. Many pundits predicted a tough test for the Swiss yesterday but Federer was having none of it and blazed his way through the first set in 19 minutes. Although he could not quite maintain that standard, the third seed was never in any trouble, with his serve proving particularly effective.

Big-hitting Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Federer's compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka await in the fourth round and, if he gets through that, he is likely to face David Ferrer in the last eight. The seventh seed has been in superb form this season and was untroubled again as he blitzed 31st seed Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-1 6-1 6-3 to set up a clash with ninth-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils, who beat Belgium's Steve Darcis.

It was a different story for 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny, who was hammered 6-1 7-6 (6/0) 6-1 by Albert Montanes, while 30th seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez fell in four sets to Italy's Fabio Fognini.