updated 2:28 a.m. ET Aug. 30, 2008

NEW YORK - Her match slipping away, Svetlana Kuznetsova screamed at herself after one errant shot. She scowled after another.

And when the 2004 U.S. Open champion and 2007 runner-up was finished losing in the third round of this year’s hard-court Grand Slam tournament, she threw a white towel over her head while walking off the court, the better to hide her disappointment.

What was considered a wide-open women’s Open at the outset grew even more so Friday, when the third-seeded Kuznetsova joined No. 1 Ana Ivanovic on the sideline.

Kuznetsova’s 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-3 upset loss to No. 28 Katarina Srebotnik came a day after Ivanovic lost in the second round. Another past major champion bowed out Friday night, when Lindsay Davenport was beaten by Marion Bartoli 6-1, 7-6 (3).

Kuznetsova and Ivanovic were among six women who entered the U.S. Open with a chance to lead the rankings afterward; Kuznetsova no longer is in the mix.

“It’s getting so much messed up,” Kuznetsova said, referring to the rankings. “I don’t get anything (about) who’s going to be No. 1.”

It certainly is complicated, so leave it at this: Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva all could be atop the WTA rankings Sept. 8, the day after the year’s last major championship wraps up.

Jankovic and Dementieva both reached the fourth round by winning Friday. The No. 2-seeded Jankovic beat Zheng Jie 7-5, 7-5, while No. 5 Dementieva defeated Anne Keothavong 6-3, 6-4. Williams meets No. 30 Ai Sugiyama in the third round Saturday, when Safina plays Timea Bacsinszky.

With Justine Henin retired, Maria Sharapova out with a shoulder injury, and Davenport and Kuznetsova now gone, the only past U.S. Open champions still around were Williams and her older sister Venus — whose third-round match against Alona Bondarenko is Saturday.

Kuznetsova was done in by Srebotnik’s strong play at the net, a product of the Slovenian’s more-distinguished doubles career. Srebotnik now will try to reach the fourth round of singles for only the third time in 37 career Grand Slam tournaments — but also for the second time this year: She did it at the French Open by knocking off Serena Williams.

Against Kuznetsova, Srebotnik won the point 22 of 32 times she went to the net.

“She played her top game,” Kuznetsova said. “For me, like, she played unbelievable.”

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