Anna loses 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

Good effort though against world no 96

Brianti bt Sprem in straights (I presume this is what wolf means when he says that Sperm lost in 2 )

Barrois (3) leads Petkovic 6-3, 0-0

Coin trails Larsson 2-3

Larsson vs. Coin update?

Curtis/Hawkins (GBR) bt Jovanovic/Sargeant (CRO/GBR) 6-2, 6-2

A high class and exciting day of tennis today at the Welti Tennis Centre. Before I start my reports I have to explain that I could only see two matches at a time as there were three courts either side of the centre of the hall, and only two each side were being used, so I couldn't see all the matches at once! So sorry if a couple of matches are missed out in my reports, and some are lacking in detail.

FQR

(q1) Sarah Borwell (GBR) beat Megan Moulton-Levy (USA) 7-6(7), 6-2

The first set of this match saw some of the most exciting tennis of the day, with both the Borwell serve and forehand being used to devestating effect as Sarah raced to a 5-1 lead. Moulton-Levy, in contrast to Sarah a small and stocky player who lacked power but made up for it with her placement of shot and movement around the court, came back into it as Sarah's nerves failed her on numerous set points, twice double faulting on set points at 5-2, and being 40-0 up at 5-4 but two more doubles and an outrageous net cord from M-L, and it was level pegging at 5-5. When Sarah was serving at 5-6, 0-30 the collapse looked to be completed but Sarah dug deep and took it to the TB. M-L started well, going 3-0 up with a double mb, but Sarah fought back and clinced it on what I think was her 8th set point, having saved one herself at 6-7 in the TB. The second set was more of a formaility, with Sarah winning four straight games from 2-2, and it ended in comical fashion with a groundstroke that was clearly long being stopped by M-L, only for the umpire to call it in. Overall I was impressed by Sarah, her serve, forehand and volley were all class shots, and she could definately be top 200 if she decided to concentrate on singles again. Her match against Robson tommorow promises to be a cracker.

(q2) Claudine Schaul (LUX) beat Samantha Vickers (GBR) 6-1, 6-0

17yr old Samantha will surely learn from this experience as she suffered a thrashing at the hands of the former top 50 player Schaul. Sam did awfully well to get to this stage, and she will now play in the main draw of a $75,000 tournament against the vastly experienced 4th seed Oblizer, what a test that will be. Sam actually started of well, forcing a bp in the first game, and holding in the second game. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there, as from the bits I saw she looked outclassed to the very end.

(q4) Stefania Boffa (SUI) beat (q7) Vanessa Henke (GER) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Not much to say about his apart from Boffa did well to come from a set and a break down especially as she was troubled by a hamstring injury throughout which she had treatment on at the end of the 2nd set.

MD R1

(2) Maret Ani (EST) beat Anna Smith (GBR) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

Little reward here from what was an excellent effort here from Anna. In the first set there was absolutely nothing to choose between them, 11 succesive service holds until Anna broke in the 12th game, mainly, it has to be said, due to errors from Ani, who was getting annoyed about being pushed by what she might have thought to be an easy start to her campaign. Anna has a scintilating backhand crosscourt which she used to good effect on several occasions, and her forehand, while not quite as powerful, mixed up the play well and she was not afraid to hit it with heavy topspin. When Anna was 3-1 40-30 up there looked like only being one winner, but Ani stepped up her game while a few errors were creeping into Anna's game and Ani won the 2nd set 6-4 and quickly established a 4-0 lead in the decider. Anna then showed some promising fight as she fought to the very, very end, holding serve twice and almost breaking Ani back. A gutsy display then from Anna, and some would say she choked after hearing the way the match went, but I would say she just couldn't maintain her standard of play, which was top 200 in the first set and a half, throughout the whole match. Ani will have to improve if she has to progress to the later stages, she didn't quite look as good as her ranking of 98 today.

(7) Roberta Vinci (ITA) beat Margit Ruutel (EST) 7-5, 6-4

Vinci survived a scare to beat her opponent, saving a set point at 4-5 in the first set, but overall I was impressed with her, she lacked the power of some of the other girls on show but she placed her shots with almost impeccable accuracy.

(3) Kristina Barrois (GRE) beat Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-3, 6-2

The difference in ranking showed here as Petkovic looked no better than her current ranking of 416, but I see Petkovic has had a long peroid of absence this year after being as high as 91 at the start of the year, so maybe she is just a little match rusty.

Julie Coin (FRA) beat Johanna Larsson (SWE) 6-3, 6-2

Coin just used her brain a bit more than Larsson, who I don't think once took the pace of the ball. Definately potential there for Johanna, but she just needs a bit more control.

Doubles R1

Jade Curtis (GBR) / Anna Hawkins (GBR) beat Amy Sargeant (GBR / Vlatka Jovanovic (CRO) 6-2, 6-2

High quality doubles from Curtis and Hawkins who barely put a foot wrong all match. Amy was let down by her more experienced partner Jovanovic who was broken four times. Definatly Hawkins could be top 100 doubles if she tried to go for the higher events instead of the 25k's she normally plays, and Jade showed promise, but to be very picky her forehand need tightning up a bit.

Katalin Marosi (HUN) / Marina Tavares (BRA) beat Yasmin Clarke (GBR) / Jade Windley (GBR) 7-5, 6-0

Jade and Yasmin did well to compete in the first set with what were two experienced players, but they fell away in the 2nd and lost heart and fight I am afraid, but the Marosi, who has been top 100 doubles, and Tavares, who is a doubles specialist had too much class so that was to be expected.

Great Report Wolf !