PARIS, France (AP) – Sam Stosur ended Justine Henin’s hopes of a comeback victory at the French Open by converting a second match point yesterday for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 fourth-round victory, while Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were winners at the same stage on the men’s side.

Needing one point to secure the upset win, Stosur wavered and hit a double-fault. The Australian player took a deep breath and tried again, this time launching a confident serve into the corner which set her up for an overhead slam to seal the biggest victory of her career.

Stosur ended the four-time French Open champion’s streak of 24 consecutive victories at Roland Garros and will play in the quarter-finals against top-ranked Serena Williams, who beat Shahar Peer 6-2, 6-2.

Nadal, another four-time champion, advanced by beating No 24-seeded Thomaz Bellucci 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. The Spanish player, who lost in the fourth round in 2009, has yet to drop a set in this year’s tournament and will next play compatriot Nicolas Almagro, seeded 19th.

Third-seeded Djokovic eliminated the last American in the men’s draw, Robby Ginepri, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Henin’s defeat was her first in the tournament since 2004. She was seeded 22nd and playing at Roland Garros for the first time since ending a 20-month retirement, looking like a title contender in the early rounds.

But after taking a 4-3 lead in the final set against the No 7-seeded Stosur, Henin showed signs of nerves and was betrayed by her elegant backhand.

Serving at 4-4, the Belgian player double-faulted to reach break point, then yanked a backhand wide. In the final game, she pushed three backhands into the net, including a potential putaway on the first point.

In the final two sets, Stosur had a 20-8 edge in winners and converted four of five break-point chances.

The 26-year-old Stosur has won 18 matches on clay this year, the most on the women’s tour. She was a Roland Garros semi-finalist last year and has the highest ranking for an Australian-born woman since Wendy Turnbull in 1985.

Williams advanced easily, looking shaky only after her fourth-round victory, when she tried to speak French to the crowd.

She complained of dizziness from a cold following a see-saw three-set win in her previous match, but the only wobble against the No 18-seeded Peer came at the start. Williams lost the first seven points, then swept nine in a row.

From 2-2, Williams won five consecutive games to take charge of the match.

Stosur’s win spoiled the prospect of a showdown between long-time rivals Williams and Henin.

Elsewhere, No 4 Jelena Jankovic committed only 11 unforced errors in her 6-4, 6-2 defeat of No 23 Daniela Hantuchova, and will meet unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova in the quarter-finals.

Against Djokovic, Ginepri was serving at 0-1 in the third set when he went down face-first chasing a shot. He made the most of his awkward court position by doing push-ups, but lost the next two points to lose serve, and won only three games the rest of the way.

Djokovic’s next opponent will be No 22 Jurgen Melzer, a first-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist playing in his 32nd major event. The Austrian advanced by beating qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Almagro beat fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

On another chilly, cloudy, windy afternoon, centre court was half empty for the start of Williams vs Peer. It didn’t last long: Williams hit six aces, broke six times and won in just over an hour.

Serena’s sister Venus, eliminated Sunday, watched from the stands. She did not wear a corset.

Serena is bidding for her 13th Grand Slam championship, and her second this year. Her lone French Open title came in 2002.

Shvedova became a Grand Slam quarter-finalist for the first time by beating wild card Jarmila Groth 6-4, 6-3.