Eighth seed Daniela Hantuchova upset second seed Jelena Jankovic 1-6 6-3 6-3 to advance to the semifinals of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, where she will face fourth seed Samantha Stosur who advanced by beating Peng Shuai 6-4 6-1. Before this quarterfinal match-up on green clay, Hantuchova had won just one of four meetings she had with the 2007 Charleston champion Jankovic.

The world No.7 Jankovic rallied from a set down to win her first match of the tournament, in the second round against Edina Gallovits. The third round against Evgeniya Rodina was much easier for Jankovic, but the former world No.1 succumbed in the quarterfinals to the former world No.5, who hasn’t won a WTA singles title since 2007.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki is still on a winning streak, and her eighth straight victory came in the Charleston quarterfinal against sixth seed Nadia Petrova. Wozniacki, last year’s runner-up to Sabine Lisicki at the Family Circle Cup, defeated the 2006 Charleston champion Petrova 6-3 6-4. Wozniacki’s opponent in Saturday's semifinal will be the winner of the match between Vera Zvonareva and Melanie Oudin. (photo: Stephane Martinache)

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark scored her seventh straight victory by beating seed No.16 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-2 7-5 in the third round of the Family Circle Cup.

Schyder, who was making her 14th consecutive appearance at the tournament in Charleston, lost to the 19-year-old Wozniacki last week as well, on the way to the Dane’s second MPS Group Championships title.

The world No.2 Wozniacki will meet Nadia Petrova in the quarterfinals. The sixth-seeded Petrova advanced after beating Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2 6-4.

Wozniacki improved to 3-1 against Schyder, while she is tied with her next opponent Petrova at 1-1. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Germany’s Sabine Lisicki beat fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-4 in the final of the Family Circle Cup to claim her first career WTA title and cap the most unlikely run in the tournament history.

Lisicki, seeded 16th, won the title being ranked 63rd, and became the lowest-ranked player ever to win the Family Circle Cup. The 19-year-old Lisicki has climbed to No.43 after the victory.

Prior to upsetting No.2 seed Venus Williams in the third round and eventually winning the tournament in Charleston, Lisicki had been known for defeating Lindsay Davenport in the Fed Cup. (photo via Family Circle Cup)

Defending champion Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Family Circle Cup because of a left leg injury.

The world No.1, soon to drop in the rankings, said she hurt her leg earlier this month at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka in the final. Later she flew to Spain to play the Andalucia Tennis Experience, but was shocked in the first round affected by the injury.

By the way, Azarenka withdrew from Charleston too, while Serena’s older sister Venus and third-ranked Elena Dementieva are scheduled to compete at the Family Circle Cup. (via CBS Sports, photo: Ralf Reinecke)

World No.8 Victoria Azarenka, champion at last week’s Sony Ericsson Open, has withdrawn from the April 11-19 Family Circle Cup due to a shoulder injury.

Azarenka didn’t offer details on her right shoulder injury, but said she regrets having to skip the tournament.

"I was looking forward to returning to Charleston and building on the momentum that I have from the past few weeks. I am looking forward to returning to Charleston in 2010," said the 19-year-old Belorussian.

The tournament will feature other tennis stars such as world No.1 and defending champion Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Venus Williams, last year’s finalist Vera Zvonareva, and Nadia Petrova. (via On the Baseline, photo: Ralf Reinecke)