Sharapova capsized by young Polish ace

Maria Sharapova was upended by Agnieszka Radwanska, 18, of Poland.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pay no attention to what Maria Sharapova said after her U.S. Open title defense came to an end Saturday.

This was a case of actions speaking far louder than words, and the way things slipped away, so suddenly and stunningly, Sharapova clearly was flustered — by the swirling wind and bright sun, by her errant strokes and, most of all, by the Krakow Kid across the net who kept moving way up to receive serves.

Sharapova reeled off eight consecutive games to go up a break in the third set, then dropped the final six games and lost 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to 18-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the third round, the earliest exit by a No. 2-seeded woman at the U.S. Open since 1981.

“I don’t know if it was a combination of the circumstance or the wind or the opponent playing well. I don’t know what it was,” said Sharapova, who double-faulted a whopping 12 times. “I just didn’t quite feel like me out there.”

The braces-wearing, big-hitting Radwanska isn’t exactly a nobody. She won junior championships at the French Open in 2005 and Wimbledon in 2006, took home her first tour title this month and came to New York seeded 30th. Still, she understood the circumstances Saturday.

Other winners

She wasn’t the only 18-year-old from Eastern Europe who pulled off a big win Saturday: Victoria Azarenka of Bulgaria beat 1997 champion Martina Hingis 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, and Agnes Szavay of Hungary eliminated No. 7 Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-3. Plus, 16-year-old Tamira Paszek of Austria knocked off No. 11 Patty Schnyder 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1).

If Radwanska-Sharapova was the most surprising result of the tournament so far, what happened later in Arthur Ashe Stadium almost would qualify: Three-time reigning men’s champion Roger Federer lost a set against 6-foot-9 American wild-card John Isner, who only a few months ago was leading Georgia to the NCAA team title.

Remember: Federer has won 11 Grand Slam titles, while Isner has played in three Grand Slam matches, all this week.