Anne Keothavong, Mel South and Katie O'Brien are in the qualies.
Full draw:
(1)RAZZANO, Virginie vs KURYANOVICH, Iryna CHEN, Yanchong vs KREMER, Anne ZHANG, Shuai vs GULLICKSON, Carly FUDA, Ryoko vs (7)ROLLE, Ahsha
(2)TU, Meilen vs (WC)BARRY, Ellen ERRANI, Sara vs SOUTH, Melanie SZAVAY, Agnes vs BOHMOVA, Katerina WOERLE, Kathrin vs (5)HSIEH, Su-Wei
(3)DOMACHOWSKA, Marta vs UBEROI, Shikha SKAVARONSKAIA, Lioudmila vs BRANDI, Kristina KEOTHAVONG, Anne vs LEE, Shona (WC)VANO, Kairangi vs (6)MEUSBURGER, Yvonne
(4)OSTERLOH, Lilia vs (WC)HOLLANDS, Dianne SUN, Shengnan vs CRAVERO, Jorgelina KIRKLAND, Jessica vs CHAN, Chin-Wei O’BRIEN, Katie vs (8)JOHANSSON, Mathilde
Sadly the Auckland live scoreboard isn't working yet
Katie's match is on at approx 2.30am, Anne's match will be on at approx 1am and Mel's match will be on at approx 11.30pm.
All of them have winnable rd1 matches:
Katie has the toughest task. 20 year old Mathilde Johansson is ranked 140 and ended 2006 in style, winning two 25Ks in Mexico, back to back. She also made two 25K semis and a quarter-final and semi in two 50Ks. She received a wildcard into the French Open and beat a Taiwan qualifier before losing to Kirilenko in rd2. However, the courts in Auckland do suit Katie's game a lot more than Johansson's game.
Anne plays 18 year old New Zealander Shona Lee, a wildcard entry. Shona is ranked 637. Her 2006 highlights were reaching a 10K quarter-final down under and qualifying for several 25Ks. Britain's Natasha Khan beat her 6-2, 6-3 in November during qualifying for the Mount Gambier 25K.
Mel plays 19 year old Italian Sara Errani, who's ranked 174. Errani is a clay-court specialist, her best results in 2006 came on the red dirt. She reached 3 quarters and 3 semis in 25K and qualified for WTA Bogota and WTA Budapest. In Budapest she went on to reach the quarters. However, on faster surfaces, Errani tends to struggle. She was beaten very emphatically by Georgie Stoop and Natasha Khan during the British autumn 25Ks on indoor acrylic courts. Stoop won 6-1, 6-2 and Khan won 6-0, 6-2.
Katie does have the best chance of qualifying as the other seed in her section is 4th seed Lilia Osterloh. Anne has a good chance of reaching the final round but I can't really see her beat Marta Domachowska (though hopefully I'm wrong )
Not the best start to the new year for British women's tennis
S Errani [It] bt M South [GB] 6-2, 6-3
S Lee [NZ] bt A Keothavong [GB] 1-6, 7-6, 6-3
M Johansson [GB][8] bt K O'Brien [GB] 7-6[3], 4-6, 6-2
Anne's result is a bit of a shocker, losing to a player who Natasha Khan beat easily on a similar surface in November. Hopefully another week of practise on the courts will mean that they're more used to the conditions come Hobart
)
