Williams crashes out to Schnyder

Williams could not capitalise on her first set victory

Click here for Friday's results from Charleston

Switzerland's Patty Schnyder ousted third seed Serena Williams 2-6 6-4 7-5 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the $1.2m Family Circle Cup in Charleston.

The shock result earned Schnyder a semi-final against top seed Jennifer Capriati, who beat Russia's Anastasia Myskina 6-0 7-5.

Schnyder fought back from a set down before nearly handing Williams the match.

I missed too many shots, I hurried too much, and I just didn't win, basically

Serena Williams

She tried a risky drop shot at 30-30 when 5-4 down in the final set, and the mistake gave Williams a match point.

But Schnyder came up with a backhand crosscourt winner to save the match, and went on to get the crucial break of serve in the 11th game.

"Today was a big fight," said Schnyder. "Now I'm in the semis, and everything is possible.

"For me it is so important that I could win against the top players again because I lost so many tight matches the last year."

Williams admitted that she had lost to the better player in her first outing on clay this season.

"Not my day today," said Williams. "I missed too many shots, I hurried too much, and I just didn't win, basically."

Schnyder saved one match point

Capriati had little trouble with Myskina but remains on her guard as she knows only victory in the tournament will maintain her position at the top of the rankings.

"I'm going into the match with very high respect for Patty - beating Serena, getting to the semi-finals," said Capriati.

She added: "I don't play my matches thinking about my ranking. If I did that I wouldn't be concentrating on the level I have to in matches, win or lose.

"What's meant to be is meant to be."

Seventh seed Sandrine Testud also reached the semi-finals by beating Stephanie Foretz 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 6-3 in an all-French affair.

Foretz had shocked Monica Seles on Thursday but fell just short against Testud, who played on despite twisting her ankle and is not guaranteed to make the semis.

"It was pretty sore at one point," Testud said. "At the end of the first set, I was just playing it one game at a time. I was saying, 'I'm going to see what I feel the next game.'

"At one point I really had pain and I said, 'is it stupid to continue?' Then after that, I felt OK. I couldn't really move, but I didn't feel too much pain, so I kept going."

If fit, Testud will play Croatia's Iva Majoli, who beat Amanda Coetzer of South Africa 6-3 7-5 in the last quarter-final of the day.

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Friday's results from the Family Circle Cup (seeds are in bold):

Iva Majoli (Cro) bt 13 Amanda Coetzer (SA) 6-3 7-6
1 Jennifer Capriati (US) bt Anastasia Myskina (Rus) 6-0 7-5
Patty Schnyder (Swi) bt 3 Serena Williams (US) 2-6 6-4 7-5
7 Sandrine Testud (Fra) bt Stephanie Foretz (Fra) 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 6-3

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