Serena makes surprise exit

PARIS (AP):

Top-ranked Serena Williams was eliminated in the French Open quarter-finals yesterday, squandering a match point and losing to Australian spoiler Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-7 (2), 8-6.

The upset was the second in a row for the No. 7-seeded Stosur and the third in as many days at Roland Garros.

Four-time champion Rafael Nadal defied the trend, beating No. 19 Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3), 6-4 in an all-Spanish quarter-final.

Stosur ended four-time champion Justine Henin's Roland Garros winning streak at 24 matches in the fourth round.

On Tuesday, top-ranked Roger Federer lost to Robin Soderling.

Then Williams made her exit, with stretches of brilliant tennis by Stosur hastening the departure. The Australian, long regarded as a doubles specialist, used her forceful forehand to build a lead, winning 17 consecutive points during one stretch.

Patented comebacks

Williams mounted one of her patented comebacks and as the tension built in an error-filled third set, she needed only one point in the 10th game for the victory.

Her forehand sailed an inch long.

Stosur then regained her early form. She hit consecutive cross-court winners to break for a 7-6 lead, then served out the victory, hitting service winners on the final three points.

"I've calmed down a little bit since walking off the court," a smiling Stosur said 90 minutes after the match. "But I'm pretty happy with myself."

It was Williams' first Grand Slam loss since her meltdown in the semi-finals of the US Open last September against Kim Clijsters. This time she directed any anger only at herself - and her shoes.

Stosur, a semi-finalist for the second year in a row, will play today against No. 4 Jelena Jankovic, who beat unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova 7-5, 6-4.

Jankovic, who rallied three times from a service break down in the second set, also reached the semi-finals in 2007 and 2008, then lost each time.

Other semi-final

The other semi-final will be between No. 5 Elena Dementieva and No. 17 Francesca Schiavone, the first Italian woman to reach the final four at Roland Garros since 1954.

The No. 2-seeded Nadal improved to 36-1 at Roland Garros, where he has yet to lose a set this year. He's 20-0 on clay in 2010 and a heavy title favourite now that defending champion Federer has been eliminated.

"Sorry for him," Nadal said in broken English, "because he did amazing last year, and he deserved this title more than no one. Right now there is no one favourite."

Nadal will play Jurgen Melzer, who advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final by shocking No. 3-seeded Novak Djokovic 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Serving for the match after more than four hours, Melzer won a harrowing 14-point game to close out the victory.

Melzer, a 29-year-old Austrian seeded 22nd, won despite converting only four of 24 break-point chances. He had never been beyond the third round in his 31 previous major tournaments.