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ROME -- Serena Williams was upset by Patty Schnyder 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.
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It was only Williams' third loss this season. She began the year by winning the Australian Open for her first Grand Slam title in two years.
"I just didn't make the shots I was supposed to make," Williams said. "I probably made 50 unforced errors, which is pretty good to get to 7-6 in the third."
The 14th-seeded Schnyder, who was runner-up at this French Open warmup two years ago, also beat Williams in their only previous match on clay. Williams won the other six meetings
"I have more time to think and I think it's her weakest surface," Schnyder said. "I'm extremely happy that I could do it again this year, because she's the champion to beat this year."
Williams said she does not plan to play again before Roland Garros, which begins May 27.
"I think the best thing for me now is practice," she said.
Williams retired from a match in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 10 with a groin muscle problem and pulled out of a Fed Cup match last month with inflammation in her right knee.
Her physical fitness is improving.
"I'm getting there," Williams said. "Actually, not winning today is going to work well for me. I'm going to get even more fit."
In the semifinals, Schnyder will face third-seeded Jelena Jankovic, who routed Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-1.
In the other half of the draw, second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova beat No. 6 Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-3. Kuznetsova's semifinal opponent will be either ninth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova or Anabel Medina Garrigues, who were playing later.
Williams, who was seeded eighth, struggled with her consistency in the first set, missing a series of backhands and committing costly double faults. Schnyder, a left-hander with a crafty all-court game, simply kept the ball in play until the American missed.
