GOLD COAST (Australia), Dec 31: Italy’s Tathiana Garbin shocked second seed Nadia Petrova of Russia 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian women’s hardcourt tennis tournament on Monday.
Garbin reached the semi-finals of this event last year only to withdraw with breathing difficulties when leading Martina Hingis 4-3 in the first set.
But she had no such problem against Petrova as she chased down almost every shot and used her court coverage to overcome the powerful Russian.
It was her first win over Petrova in five encounters.
After two hard-fought sets, Garbin looked to be cruising to victory when she led 5-0 in the decider, but she began to suffer from nerves and allowed Petrova to claw her way back to 3-5.
But the Italian regained her composure and when the powerful Russian hit a forehand into the net, Garbin was through to the second round.
Eighth-seeded Hungarian Agnes Szavay was also a first-round loser, bowing out to qualifying lucky loser Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine.
Fedak only made the main draw when countrywoman Julia Vakulenko withdrew injured at the last minute, but came back from losing the first set to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Defending champion and third seed Dinara Safina of Russia escaped a similar fate when she struggled past Australian-based Slovakian Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
In the only other completed match on a rain-affected second day, fourth seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland cruised past Russian qualifier Alisa Kleybanova 6-1, 6-3.
First-round results: Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 0-6, 0-1 – Shaughnessy retired); 6-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Olga Savchuk (Ukraine) 6-1, 6-1; 3-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Jarmila Gajdosova (Slovakia) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) beat 8-Agnes Szavay (Hungary) 3-6, 7-5; 6-2 Tathiana Garbin (Italy) beat 2-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 5-7, 7-5, 6-3; 4-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) 6-1, 6-3.
ADELAIDE: Fifth seed Radek Stepanek retired from his opening round match at the Australian men’s hardcourt tennis championship at Memorial Drive on Monday with a heel injury.The Czech bowed out to Australian wildcard Joe Sirianni while trailing 6-7 (3-7), 3-4 and down a break in the second set, citing a right heel problem.
The former world No 8 told reporters he did not pull out of the match because of the fierce heat, with temperatures hovering around 42 Celsius (107 Fahrenheit).
Stepanek’s views did not get any sympathy from tournament top seed and former Wimbledon and US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt.
Hewitt, who plays on Tuesday, said after losing his opening doubles match that the ATP Tour’s non-implementation of a heat policy at the Adelaide tournament, in line with that employed by the Australian Open, was the right call.
Stepanek was not the only seed to crash out on Monday’s first day, with seventh-seeded Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro beaten 6-3, 6-3 by American Michael Russell.
First-round results: Michael Llodra (France) beat 4-Gilles Simon (France) 7-6, 6-3 Mischa Zverev (Germany) beat Florian Mayer (Germany) 6-3, 6-3 Benjamin Becker (Germany) beat Robert Smeets (Australia) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 Michael Russell (US) beat 7-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-3, 6-3 Joseph Sirianni (Australia) beat 5-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-3), 4-3 – Stepanek retired; Sam Querrey (US) beat Steve Darcis (Belgium) 7-5, 6-4
AUCKLAND: Lindsay Davenport continued her tennis comeback with an easy win in the first round of the Auckland Classic women’s tournament on Monday.
The unseeded Davenport had little trouble disposing of fellow American Laura Granville, 6-2, 6-3.
Davenport’s second round opponent will be fifth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, who beat Australia’s Nicole Pratt 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
The one seeded player to fall in the first round was France’s Emilie Loit, the eighth seed who lost in straight sets to Ashley Harkleroad of the United States, 6-4, 6-1.
Sixth seeded Austrian Tamira Paszek beat Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 7-6 (9-7), 6-1, while the third seed Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia beat Russian Anastasia Rodionova in a bizarre spectacle.
Rodionova was in tears for much of the match, reportedly because problems with her contact lenses meant she could not see the ball properly. She retired midway through the second set, down 0-6, 0-3.
First-round results: Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) beat Meilen Tu (US) 6-3, 7-5; Yvonne Meusburger (Austria) beat Akiko Morigami (Japan) 7-5, 6-0; 5-Anabel Medina (Spain) beat Nicole Pratt (Australia) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; Ashley Harkleroad (US) beat 8-Emilie Loit (France) 6-4, 6-1; 3-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) 6-0, 3-0 – Rodionova retired; Lindsay Davenport (US) beat Laura Granville (US) 6-2, 6-3; 6-Tamira Paszek (Austria) beat Yanine Wickmayer (Belgium) 7-6 (9-7), 6-1.—Agencies
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