PORTUGUESE 16-year-old Michelle Larcher De Brito grunted her way into the limelight at the French Open on a day Venus Williams made her now customary early exit from Roland Garros.

While Williams, the third seed, was slipping to a fourth third-round defeat in five years here, Larcher De Brito was in front of the press defending the shrieks and squeals that made her public enemy number one during her defeat to France’s Aravane Rezai.

Rezai, who won 7-6 (7/3) 6- 2 on Philippe Chatrier court, complained several times to the umpire about the often inappropriate noises coming from the other side of the net, which came not just as she struck the ball but also when her opponent made a mistake.

At 4-3 in the first set, the umpire summoned the grandslam supervisor, who suggested he have a word with Larcher De Brito at the next changeover.

The highly-rated teenager, who attended the famous Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida from the age of nine, clearly has a great future ahead of her but she is in danger of becoming known more for her grunts than her groundstrokes.

She was bombarded with questions after the match about her groans, but she maintained it was simply part of her game.

‘‘It’s something natural,’’ said Larcher De Brito, who was jeered off the court after offering the weakest of congratulatory handshakes to Rezai.

‘‘I’ve been doing it ever since I started playing tennis.

I’m not trying to copy anybody.”

The incident rather overshadowed the early exit of the elder Williams, who became the highest-ranked casualty of the tournament.

The American, who has never won the title at Roland Garros, was beaten 6-0 6-4 by 29th seed Agnes Szavay, of Hungary.