By Chris Davies
April 19 2004

Number 5th seed Lindsay Davenport the inform player at the moment lost in a comprehensive fashion to the number 11th seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the Quarter-Finals of the Family Cirlce Cup, Charleston. The winner of last weeks Amelia Island tournament, Davenport was a huge favourite after the withdrawals of Henin-Hardenne and Serena Williams to win back-to-back titles. But the Swiss lefthander had other ideas in mind crusing through the match in relatively easy fashion claims the first set 6-3 and 6-2.

Schnyder who does have an excellent clay court game when she is in the zone can beat anybody on the day and now faces Conchita Martinez.

Martinez who won her 700th career match earlier this week claimed a walkover from Williams in the third round amd eased through against Russia's Nadia Petrova. Petrova who now is the world number 9 had no answers to the Spaniards excellent clay court specialities crashing to a 6-3, 6-1 loss.

In the other half of the draw Venus Williams had little problems from Vera Zvonareva, who beat Williams in last years French Open 4th round could not repeat that success losing 6-3, 6-4. This is Venus' first clay tournament of the year and is stil getting used to the surface. Next for the former world number one is Croatias Jelena Kostanic who ousted Capriati's conquerer Petra Mandula.

In a tight first set which went to a tie-break with the Croat winning 7-4 she then went on to claim the second set in more easier fashion 6-2.


Quarter-Finals

(4) V WILLIAMS (USA) bt (9) V ZVONAREVA (RUS)
6-3, 6-4

(16) C MARTINEZ (SPA) bt (8) N PETROVA (RUS)
6-3, 6-1

J Kostanic (Cro) bt P Mandula (Hun)
7-6 (7-4), 6-2

(11) P SCHNYDER (SWI) bt (5) L DAVENPORT (USA)
6-3, 6-2