Paris: Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova played the third longest women singles ever in the French Open on Thursday in a clash of two former tournament winners that went the full distance.

 Francesca Schiavone. Pic/AFP

It took them 3 hours 50 minutes before Schiavone staggered past the winning post and into the third round 6-7 (11/13), 7-5, 10-8, but even that was no match going up against the game they played at the 2011 Australian Open. Schiavone also won on that occasion 16-14 in the deciding set after 4 hrs 44mins -- the longest match to date in women's Grand Slam history.