French Open run ends for U.S. teen Sloane Stephens

But there was no sad face for Stephens — the youngest women left in the draw and soon to be the youngest in the top 60 based on ranking projections.

"I have had such a good time," she said after of her run in Paris, her first trip to the last 16 at a major. "And even though every day I have been saying, 'Man, I can't wait to get home to eat my grandpa's curry crab,' I don't want to leave. So it's kind of bittersweet that I'm going home, but I had so much fun."

Sixth-seeded Stosur said "inexperience probably showed through a little bit," but the Australian had high praise for her opponent.

"I think as she matures and gets a little bit older that's all going to really come together," Stosur said of her power, speed and shot-making. "I think she's got a very good future ahead of her."

If Stephens' loss doesn't derail a breakthrough effort, it did knock her out of the Olympics and ostensibly brings to a close the scramble for London Games singles slots.

The rankings cutoff is June 11, the day after the French Open ends, with most players ranked 56 or higher guaranteed a place in the singles draw.

Only four singles and two doubles players per country can be nominated, and based on the projected rankings those players will be (current rankings) No. 5 Serena Williams, No. 36 Christina McHale, No. 53 Venus Williams and No. 63 Varvara Lepchenko.

Top-ranked Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond should round out the team in doubles.

To earn a place, Stephens had to reach the quarterfinals or advance one round further than Lepchenko here. Lepchenko plays No. 4 Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round today.

For the U.S. women, the plot thickened considerably in the last three months as Venus Williams, returned to action and Lepchenko and Stephens surged up the rankings. Venus has missed much of the year battling Sjogren's syndrome, an energy-sapping autoimmune disorder.

In March, Vania King looked to be in solid position to make the team, but illness and injury slowed her down (she lost in the second round here), opening the door.

Lepchenko began the season at No. 127 and Stephens was ranked No. 92 before reaching the semifinals of Strasbourg two weeks ago.

All week, the women tried to avoid the topic.

"I don't want to think about (the Olympics) because I don't want to put myself on the team yet," said McHale, 20, earlier this week before losing to defending champ Li Na of China in three sets. "I just want to wait until the tournament ends and see who gets in."

Serena and Lepchenko still need waivers from the International Tennis Federation, which oversees the tournament at the Olympics, to qualify.

Both failed eligibility requirements of making themselves available for Fed Cup duty in two of the previous four years.

Serena was out for 11 months in 2010-11 with injuries and illness, including a hematoma and blood clots. Uzbekistan-born Lepchenko only became a U.S. citizen in September.