Patty Schnyder won a three set battle against Italy’s Mara Santangelo 3-6 7-6(2) 6-3 and advancend to the quarterfinals at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. The number 3 seed Swiss had hard to work in  her first match against the 24-year old Italian, who is the number 41 in the ranking.
Like in her second round match against Meilen Tu the Swiss lefthander had trouble with her serve in the beginning of the match. She made too many errors and she lost the first set against a well playing Santangelo 3-6.
The turning point of the match came in the middle of the second set. Patty served better now and she reduced the count of her errors. ” It was really a big struggle, I didn’t feel comfortable and she played good”, said the Swiss after the match. ” I was just trying to get the balls in, to place them better, and I just stick with it, and somehow, it was my turn, and that’s what happened”. The second set had to be decided in tiebreak. Now Patty was very focused, she played out all her routine and won the tiebreaker safely 7-2. ” Of course, it was very tight. I could not have a slow start in the tiebreaker, and I knew I would be gone. So it was a lot of pressure, and still I just kept playing the points, and I mean it was very tight for me, and so I’m really happy to be through”, Schnyder commentated.
In the decisive third set the Swiss broke her opponent and after 2 hours and 4 minutes Patty finished the battle with her first match point. “Once I got a little bit more rhythm and a little bit more confidence I could really play with her and finally I got that break that helped me a lot”, said Patty.
In the quarterfinals Patty will face Nathalie Dechy from France, who is the number 8 seed in Charleston. The head-to-head is tied 2 all. It will be the first match on a clay court between them.
“I’m just very happy to be through to the quarters, and I expect a very, very tough match again tomorrow, and then we will see what’s going to happen”, said the Swiss about her next match.