( CNN ) -- Venus Williams was the first former champion to fall on Friday at the U.S. Open . The American lost an epic encounter with world No . 13 Sara Errani as the Italian came through 6-0 0-6 7-6 . Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova , also former winners at Flushing Meadows , hope to stay the course later on Friday . Williams , who has rediscovered some of her best form in the build up to the final grand slam of the season , looked down and out as she lost an error-strewn opening set . But there were cheers from the crowd on Arthur Ashe court when the 34-year-old home favorite won her first game of the match at the start of the second . It looked like a phoenix from the flames comeback was on from Williams as she overpowered Errani to level at one set all . The third set saw the pendulum of momentum swing between the two players . Williams was serving for the match at 5-3 up only for Errani to break back and eventually force a deciding tiebreak . The breaker was another see-sawing affair but it was the Italian who conjured some brilliant play to wrap up it 7-5 and book her place in the fourth round . Williams came into Friday 's single match on the back off a draining doubles match with her sister Serena . The 34-year-old , who is dealing with the effects of Sjogren 's Syndrome , will turn her attention to that side of the tournament now . Fairytale in New York . There was a fairytale in New York for qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni as she knocked out second seed Simona Halep 7-6 6-2 . The world No . 121 had once been one of the game 's rising stars , reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999 . But her career went into freefall after personal revelations about an abusive childhood . Lucic-Baroni fled to the United States with her mother and siblings but her promising tennis career was all but over . `` After so many years , it 's incredible , '' the 32-year-old told reporters . `` I live for this . Every painful moment has been worth it . ''
Two - time champion Venus Williams loses in third round of Australian Open . Italian world No . 1 Sara Errani wins epic encounter 6 - 0 3 - 6 7 - 6 . Qualifier Mirjana Lucic - Baroni knocks out second seed and ##ël . The former Croatian teenage star describes her shock victory as ` ` incredible ''