Stosur beats Petrova in record match

- NEW YORK (Reuters) - Australian Sam Stosur beat Russian Nadia Petrova 7-6 6-7 7-5 to reach the last 16 of the U.S. Open in a three hour, 16 minute battle on Friday in the tournament's longest women's match of the tie-break era.

Ninth seed Stosur, a quarter-finalist in New York last year, had chances to close out a hard-fought tussle in the second set, but Petrova, the 24th seed, saved two match points and won the tiebreak 7-5 to force a third set.

Then it was Stosur's turn to rally back. Down a break in the third set, the Australian drew level at 4-4 with a service break in the eighth game.

A confident hold at love gave Stosur a 6-5 lead, and she finally finished off Petrova on her fifth match point to advance to a match against another Russian, 25th seed Maria Kirilenko.

Stosur, who saved four match points herself against Elena Dementieva last year to reach the quarters, ripped 48 winners but also made 44 unforced errors.

(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Alastair Himmer)