The Hindu : Mauresmo packs off Krasnoroutskaya

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 15, 2003

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Mauresmo packs off Krasnoroutskaya

ROME May 14. Amelie Mauresmo advanced to the third round of the Italian Open on Wednesday with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory against 53rd-ranked Lina Krasnoroutskaya of Russia.

After charging through the first set in 29 minutes, the fourth-seeded Frenchwoman rushed forward and forced Krasnoroutskaya to hit into the net on match point in a second set that had no breaks of serve.

``In the second set I was a little less concentrated and a little more tired in the legs,'' Mauresmo said. ``I was a little tired because of the heat and the fact that I keep training during tournaments.''

This US$1.3 million event is a key clay-court tune-up for the French Open, which starts May 26.

Mauresmo, who figures to be one of the top contenders in front of her home fans in Paris, has been one of the leading performers on tour in recent weeks.

She began the month by winning her first tournament of the year in Warsaw — beating Venus Williams in the final — and then lost to eventual champion Justine Henin-Hardenne in the semifinals in Berlin last week.

Venus and Henin-Hardenne both withdrew from the Italian Open.

In Wednesday's other early matches, Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia upset 12th-seeded Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 6-3, 6-2 and 17th-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland swept aside Barbara Schett of Austria 6-0, 6-2.

Earlier, top seed Serena Williams opened the defence of her Rome Masters title with a laboured 6-4, 6-3 win over the Czech Republic's Klara Koukalova.

But Rome's clay courts claimed their first high-profile victim when France's Emilie Loit stunned sixth-seeded American Chanda Rubin 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 on Tuesday.

Last year's Rome title marked the beginning of the 21-year-old's rise to number one in the world en route to four consecutive grand slam titles.

But Williams struggled against the Russian qualifier who matched her blow-for-blow, nullifying the American's heavy serve with fizzing returns.

Williams clinched a break in the 10th game of the match to take the first set, and held off three break points during a tense second set before setting up a third-round encounter with Nathalie Dechy, who beat 14th seed Amanda Coetzer 2-6, 7-6, 7-6.

The results: second round: Patty Schnyder bt Barbara Schett 6-0, 6-2; Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Eleni Daniilidou 6-3, 6-2; Amelie Mauresmo bt Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-2, 7-6 (5); Cara Black bt Laura Granville 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Nadia Petrova bt Monica Seles 6-3, 4-1, retired; Anastasia Myskina bt Maja Matevzic 6-2, 6-3; Serena Williams bt Klara Koukalova 6-4, 6-3; Emilie Loit bt Chanda Rubin 6-2, 1-6, 6-3; Nathalie Dechy bt Amanda Coetzer 2-6, 7-6 (6-4), 7-6 (6-4).

First round: Magui Serna bt Elena Likhovtseva 4-6, 6-2, 6-0; Dinara Safina bt Katarina Srebotnik, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5; Virginia Ruano Pascual bt Meilen Tu 6-4, 6-4;Maja Matevzic bt Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Ai Sugiyama bt Paola Suarez 6-2, 6-3; Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian 6-3, 6-2; Monica Seles bt Myriam Casanova 4-6, 6-2, 6-3;Fabiola Zuluaga bt Alexandra Stevenson 6-1, 6-1;Flavia Pennetta bt Clarisa Fernandez 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.

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