Scrappy Sharapova pushed to three sets again

PARIS (Reuters) - Top seed Maria Sharapova was pushed to three sets again before booking her place in the French Open third round with a 6-2 3-6 6-2 win over American Bethanie Mattek on Friday.

In a match halted late on Thursday evening at 6-2 2-3 to the Russian, Sharapova was broken in game eight of the second to allow the American to level but finally won through in two hours and three minutes after a scrappy third set.

Sharapova, who needed three sets to pass Evgeniya Rodina in the first round, broke the Mattek serve three times in the final set, punching a backhand service return down the line for a winner on her first match point.

She will play Italy's 32nd seed Karin Knapp in the third round.

(Writing by Miles Evans; editing by Pritha Sarkar)