PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Serena Williams was eliminated in the French Open quarter-finals yesterday, 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 semi-finals since 2003.

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 quarter-final. 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.

It was Williams’ first Grand Slam loss since her meltdown in the semi-finals of the US Open last September against Kim Clijsters. This time she directed any anger only at herself — and her shoes.

Stosur, a semi-finalist for the second year in a row, will play today 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 semi-finals 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 favourite 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.

The other women’s semi-final will be between No 5 Elena Dementieva and No 17 Francesca Schiavone, the first Italian woman to reach the final four at Roland Garros since 1954.