Mauresmo crashes out to Schnyder

Mauresmo lost five successive games in the first set

Amelie Mauresmo's preparations for the new season were dented when she was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Patty Schnyder at the Australian Hardcourt Championships.

The former world number one, making her way back from a shoulder injury, was beaten in 76 minutes by her Swiss opponent in the quarter-finals.

"I made too many mistakes, especially in that first set," said Mauresmo.

Top seed Nicole Vaidisova and defending champion Dinara Safina were also knocked out of the Gold Coast event.

Mauresmo's task was made more difficult when she lost the opening five games in the first set and the 2006 Australian Open champion was unable to recover.

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The Frenchwoman was playing in her first tournament since October.

Schnyder will now face China's unseeded Li Na, who shocked Vaidisova with a 6-3 6-3 win.

The Czech star had sustained an ankle complaint during the first set, but refused to blame the problem for her defeat.

"She played a great game and she was up before that happened so it's definitely not my excuse for losing," said the 18-year-old.

Russian Safina wasted five match points on her way to a 4-6 6-1 7-6 defeat by fifth seed Shahar Peer.

The Israeli will face Victoria Azarenka in Friday's semi-final after the Belarussian defeated Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 6-13-6 6-3.