Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder retired from tennis this season after a first-round defeat at the French Open, which was her 59th appearance at a Grand Slam, and a tribute to her 17-year-long career was organized at the WTA Championships in Istanbul.

Retired tennis champion Mary Pierce handed Schnyder a career memory book, and in attendance were also Samantha Stosur, Istanbul finalist Victoria Azarenka, Katarina Srebotnik, Kveta Peschke and WTA Chairperson and CEO Stacy Allaster, whose contract with the Tour has recently been extended and she will lead women's tennis for another five years, until 2017. Read more »

Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder, 32, today announced her decision to retire from professional tennis and end her 17-year career. Her last singles match was a first-round defeat at the current French Open to Romanian Sorana Cirstea, while in doubles she and her partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld lost in the second round to top seeds Flavia Pennetta and Gisela Dulko.

The 2011 French Open was Schnyder’s 59th career Grand Slam appearance, and her best Grand Slam performance was a semifinal at the 2004 Australian Open. Schnyder’s career was successful in both singles and doubles. The Swiss won 11 WTA singles titles (in the 27 finals she played) and 5 doubles titles. Her highest career ranking in singles was No.7 (she was ranked in the Top 10 for 94 weeks), and in doubles it was No.15. Now at the moment of her retirement, Schyder’s singles ranking is No.55 and doubles No.124.

A good number of wins over world No.1 players enrich Schnyders biography: Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Amélie Mauresmo, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki. (photo courtesy of Women Who Serve)

World No.40 Patty Schnyder lost in the first round of the Family Circle Cup to Chanelle Scheepers 6-4 6-4, after saving nine match points, and will never again play in singles at the tournament which had been her mandatory stop for 15 successive years.

"I feel so good whenever I come to Charleston, but I don't think I will be back as a player – maybe as a fan," said the 32-year-old Schnyder.

Fellow blogger, Diane, visits Charleston every year and here's how she explains the special love Charleston has for the Swiss player:

If you've never been to the Family Circle Cup, then it may be hard to appreciate how wild the crowd goes for Schnyder. Last year, there was quick, polite applause for Caroline Wozniacki when she beat Schnyder, then the crowd broke out in yells when Schnyder made her exit.

Interestingly, Scheepers lost to Schnyder last year in the first round of Charleston. Schnyder is still at the tournament, though, playing doubles with Shelby Rogers.

Schnyder's best results in Charleston were finals in 2002 and 2006. In 2002 she lost to Iva Majoli and in 2006 to Nadia Petrova. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

The Generali Ladies Linz was the last tournament Ana Ivanovic won and two years later the Serb ended her title drought by winning the same event and in a pretty impressive fashion – without dropping a set and by winning the final against 47th-ranked Patty Schynder in just 47 minutes.

Both players had a 100% conversion of break points, but Ivanovic had six such chances compared to Schnyder’s two. After just 18 minutes of play Ivaanovic served for the first set at 5-1 and before you knew it she won the whole match 6-1 6-2.

The 2010 Generali Ladies Linz is Ivanovic’s ninth career title. The world No.29 has earned $37,000 and 280 ranking points with her successful showing at the Austrian tournament. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Ana Ivanovic’s last title came at the Generali Ladies Linz two years ago and this year she advanced to the final of the same tournament where she will face Patty Schnyder.

Ivanovic was a late entrant into the draw, but her trip to Linz really paid off as she will be playing her first final in 19 months, which she reached without dropping a set. In the semifinals the seventh-seeded Ivanovic defeated Roberta Vinci 6-3 7-5.

Schnyder, twice runner-up at Linz, had a tougher semifinal, and despite winning the first five games of the match she ended up saving two match points against sixth seed Andrea Petkovic in the third set. The Swiss came out as a winner after two hours and 15 minutes with the 6-2 4-6 7-5 score.

Ivanovic and Schyder have a tied 4-4 head-to-head record, but it was Ivanovic who won their last four meetings (between 2006 and 2008). (photos: © Neal Trousdale)