atty Schnyder couldn’t take the last stage to the title at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. Another three set battle in the heat on the court was too much for the Swiss who lost in the final against the second seeded Nadia Petrova 3-6 6-4 1-6.
The Russian, who captured the fourth singles title in her career, won the second consecutive tournament on the green clay after Amelia Island last week. ” I must say I can’t believe myself I’ve done it”, said the 23-year old Petrova, who was in trouble during the second set. “I was really feeling bad today, I think it was the heat. In the second set I had difficulties to move on court.”
In the first set Petrova broke the number three seed Swiss to a 2-1 lead and at 5-3 she broke her again to the win of the set. In the second set Patty broke her opponent in the opening game. The Russian got now problems with the heat and took a timeout. After that she failed two break chances and the Swiss won the second set 6-4. The decisive third set started after a 10-minute break in play due to the heat. Now it was the Russian who better got along with the conditions. She broke the Swiss early to a 3-0 lead. Now Patty hadn’t the power to come back and after another break to 5-1 it was over for the Swiss. With her sixth matchpoint finally Petrova finished the match.
“I feel my game is taking a new level”, said the new Champion from Russia, who will now continue her success at the european clay-courts. “I’m really looking forward to the red clay”.

“I could feel the heat but I could run and I would have been ready to go for one more hour or have tough rallies in a row,” commentated the disappointed Swiss. “But I missed too many balls and I could not handle the pressure because her strokes are so powerful and very deep.”
After 2002 against Craoatia’s Iva Majoli, the Swiss lost for the second time a final in Charleston. Even though, the Family Circle Cup is one of Pattys favourite tournaments. This year she played there for the tenth consecutive time and she said she really like this place. “I feel at home here, I wish we could play more weeks here. They make me feel at home, and it’s few weeks where you really feel that support, and I’m proud of it.” After a break of two weeks Patty will make her start in the european clay-court season at the J & S Cup in Warsaw, which starts on May 1.