The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Ruano-Pascual gets past Dechy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 05, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Ruano-Pascual gets past Dechy

AMELIA ISLAND (Florida): Former doubles No. 1 Virginia Ruano-Pascual won 7-6(2), 6-4 to extend Nathalie Dechy's woeful start to the year in the first round of the Bausch & Lomb championships here on Monday.

Dechy's ranking has slipped from a career-high 12 at the start of the season to 24, with only one singles win this year — the Frenchwoman's confidence shaken by a left knee injury in January.

Ruano-Pascual, who came through qualifying, gave her singles game another boost by upsetting the 10th-seeded Dechy.

At the Australian Open she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

She has three singles titles but 34 in doubles, and was the top-ranked doubles player as recently as October.

Jankovic out

As the top eight seeds received a bye into the second round, three other seeds fell on the first day: No. 12 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro, No. 13 Gisela Dulko of Argentina and No. 16 Marion Bartoli of France.

Jankovic had to retire with leg cramps while trailing American Jill Craybas 2-6, 7-6(8), 4-0 and squandering a match point in the tie-breaker.

Jankovic lost her opening round match for the sixth straight tournament.

Craybas was coming off a fourth round effort last week in Key Biscayne, where she upset the second-ranked Kim Clijsters.

``I gained a lot of confidence in that tournament and that will hopefully carry over to this event,'' Craybas said.

Dulko was ousted 6-0, 6-1 in 52 minutes by Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine, while Bartoli lost to wildcard Meghann Shaughnessy for the first time in three meetings. The American, who shocked Justine Henin-Hardenne at Key Biscayne, won 6-0, 7-5.

Safina through

Ninth-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia, No. 11 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and the 15th seed Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic all advanced to the second round. Safarova got into a serve-fest with Michaella Krajicek, slamming 12 aces to her opponent's 10, and saved the three break points she faced. Safarova won 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-4.

Davenport out

With no previous champions in the field, the tournament was guaranteed a first-time winner. Lindsay Davenport, who had won here the last two years, withdrew with a back injury. World No. 7 Nadia Petrova is the top seed.

Important results:

At Amelia Island (WTA Bausch & Lomb Championships):

First round: Katerina Bohmova bt Amy Frazier 6-1, 7-5; Vera Dushevina bt Ekaterina Bychkova 6-2, 6-1; Conchita Martinez bt Peng Shuai 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Lucie Safarova bt Michaella Krajicek 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-4; Meghann Shaughnessy bt Marion Bartoli 6-0, 7-5; Alona Bondarenko bt Gisela Dulko 6-0, 6-1; Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-3, 2-6, 7-5; Virginia Ruano Pascual bt Nathalie Dechy 7-6(2), 6-4; Dinara Safina bt Shinobu Asagoe 6-2, 6-2; Jill Craybas bt Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 7-6(8), 4-0, Jankovic retd.; Shahar Peer bt Kristina Brandi 6-1, 6-0. — AP

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