Melzer bundles out Djokovic PARIS – Top-ranked Serena Williams was eliminated in the French Open quarterfinals Wednesday, squandering a match point and losing to Australian spoiler Samantha Stosur, 6-2, 6-7 (2), 8-6. A 12-time Grand Slam champion, Williams won her only French Open title in 2002 and hasn't been to the semifinals since 2003. “I guess it's a redundant story with me,” she said. “It was my match, and I lost it.” The upset was the second in a row for the No. 7-seeded Stosur, and surprises keep coming 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 quarterfinal. But No. 3 Novak Djokovic lost to Jurgen Melzer, who earned his first Grand Slam semifinal berth at age 29 by rallying to win 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-4. On Monday, 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. 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. That gave Stosur a chance to regain 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 semifinals of the US Open last September against Kim Clijsters. This time she directed any anger only at herself – and her shoes. “I'm a little disappointed, obviously, in the way I played,” she said. Stosur, a semifinalist for the second year in a row, will play Thursday 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 semifinals in 2007 and 2008, then lost each time. 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 favorite now that defending champion Federer has been eliminated. Nadal will next play Melzer, whose grin lit up Paris after his first career comeback from a two-set deficit. Serving for the match after more than four hours, he won a harrowing 14-point game to close out the victory. Williamses in doubles final Serena and Venus Williams have come back to beat Liezel Huber of the United States and Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the French Open women's doubles final. They will face the 12th-seeded pair of Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia. – AP Semifinals lineup Men Nadal vs. Melzer Soderling vs. Berdych Women Stosur vs. Jankovic Schiavone vs. Dementieva __
