Alize Cornet fought tooth and nail but the local favourite's French Open run came to an end when she was knocked out 6-2, 7-6(9) in the fourth round by Ukrainian 19th seed Elina Svitolina on Sunday.
The 29th-seeded Cornet, in uncharted territory after reaching the last 16 for the first time, gave herself a mountain to climb when she went 5-0 down as 20-year-old Svitolina peppered the court with winners.
She battled back after a lengthy rain break though, responding from a break down four times in the second set to force a tiebreak which she lost 11-9.
Cornet, who was upset by a line call near the end, saved five match points but Svitolina, who will play former champion Ana Ivanovic in her first grand slam quarter-final, clinched it at the sixth attempt when her opponent fired long.
At 5-5 in the second set with a break point against her, Cornet sent a shot long, which was called out after the umpire climbed down off her chair to check the mark.
Angry Cornett
Cornet argued the call was wrong, telling the umpire she just "stole" a point from her.
She went on to break back for 6-6, however, and the drama continued.
Svitolina, the youngest player left in the bottom half of the draw, seemed to be heading for a routine win when she opened a 6-3 lead in the tiebreak but Cornet had another scenario in mind.
With three match points against her, the Frenchwoman upped the pace and saved the first three, even setting up a set point when her fourth straight point gave her a 7-6 lead.
The Ukrainian saved it with a smash.
Cornet, struggling to catch her breath on a windswept centre court, saw off two more match points but on the sixth, she sent a backhand long.
Ivanovic fights hard to beat Makarova
Former champion Ana Ivanovic battled wind, rain and tough Russian opponent Ekaterina Makarova to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open on Sunday, winning a weather-interrupted match 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Ivanovic, who won the tournament in 2008 but has not threatened a repeat, produced an attacking display to become the first player to reach the last eight.
The players shared breaks of serve before rain arrived with Serbian Ivanovic leading 3-2 in the first set and it was around three hours later that they returned.
Ivanovic broke in the 12th game with a forehand smack on the line to move a set ahead, but she quickly fell behind in the second against the ninth seed, gifting a break with a double fault.
The blustery conditions seemed to bother Ivanovic more as Makarova took the second set with a drive volley winner.
She settled down again in the decider, striking her forehand deep into the corners and Makarova had no answer.
Another forehand winner sealed victory for Ivanovic, who will play Elina Svitolina in the quarters.
Sharapova match cancelled as rain disrupts French Open
Defending champion Maria Sharapova's fourth-round match against Czech 13th seed Lucie Safarova was cancelled as rain showers disrupted play at the French Open on Sunday.
The Russian second seed was scheduled last on court Suzanne Lenglen. Italian Flavia Pennetta will also take on Spain's Garbine Muguruza on Monday.
Play was suspended for two hours 40 minutes on Sunday as rain fell at Roland Garros.
The championships had until Sunday been unaffected by rain, despite the often cool and overcast conditions.
Should the weather relent, another home hope Gael Monfils, one of five Frenchmen through to the last 16, will take on 17-times Grand Slam champion and second seed Roger Federer.
Nishikori hurries past Gabashvili into quarter-finals
Japan's Kei Nishikori blazed into the quarter-finals of the French Open with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 defeat of unseeded Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili on Sunday.
The fifth seed had not struck a ball in anger since Wednesday's second round after his next opponent Benjamin Becker of Germany pulled out injured.
But the U.S. Open runner-up looked in a hurry to get his challenge moving again, playing razor-sharp tennis in damp and heavy conditions to outclass a gritty Gabashvili.
Nishikori has reached the French Open quarter-finals for the first time and will play either Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych or Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Wawrinka bulldozes into quarters
Swiss eighth seed Stan Wawrinka raced into the French Open quarter-finals by hammering Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday.
The 12th-seeded Simon was blown away on a windswept court Suzanne Lenglen as 2014 Australian Open champion Wawrinka sprayed the court with winners despite the damp conditions making the clay court slower.
Wawrinka, who spurred Switzerland to Davis Cup glory with victory over France on clay last November, ended the lopsided contest on his first match point when Simon sent a shot long.
Wawrinka will next face 17-times grand slam champion Roger Federer, or another Frenchman, 13th seed Gael Monfils.
Tsonga lights up Paris to reach quarter-finals
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga illuminated a grey day in Paris with a thrilling victory over Tomas Berdych to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open on Sunday but Maria's Sharapova title defence was put on hold by the rain.
After home favourite Alize Cornet's run petered out, home eyes turned to Tsonga on Court Philippe Chatrier.
All seemed to be going well when he led by two sets against bad-tempered fourth seed Berdych, who seemed unhappy to be playing in on-and-off drizzle, but when he served for the match at 5-4 in the third set the dampness seemed to get into his circuitry and he fluffed his chance.
Berdych pounced to take the third set on a tiebreak and as French cheers from fans huddled under colourful umbrellas in the stands turned to near silence, the Czech moved a break ahead in the fourth and looked favourite to go and win.
Out of nowhere, however, the spring returned to Tsonga's step and with an onslaught of heavy hitting he reeled off five games in a row to win 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3.
The injury-plagued Tsonga sealed victory when Berdych wafted a backhand long and danced for joy before conducting the "Oles" with his towel.
It was only the third time in nine meetings that 30-year-old Tsonga, seeded 14, had beaten Berdych and his reward is a quarter-final against Japan's Kei Nishikori.