Post by californiacro on Aug 11, 2007 21:14:20 GMT 1
Srebotnik advances in Bank of the West Classic
STANFORD, California: Seventh-seeded Croatian Katarina Srebotnik beat Russia's Olga Poutchkova, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday to advance to the second round of the Bank of the West Classic.
Srebotnik was upset in the first round of two previous tournaments in which she was seeded eighth or higher. The 25th-ranked Srebotnik reached the third round of all three Grand Slam events this year. Poutchkova lost her fifth straight.
Eleni Danilidou of Greece outlasted Amber Liu, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, in a later match that lasted over two hours.
"Amber was getting a little tired and I was way more aggressive than her beginning in the second set," the 41st-ranked Danilidou said. "I really couldn't see in the first set; there were shadows on the court."
Danilidou plays top-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze in the second round on Thursday.
In other matches, Meilen Tu beat Meghann Shaughnessy, 7-6 (3), 6-1 to reach the second round for the 11th time in 13 tournaments; Shuai Peng topped Elena Bovina, 6-3, 6-4; and Lilia Osterloh beat fellow American Jill Craybas 6-2, 7-5.
"It's just a good way to start," Peng said. "(Bovina) hits hard so I tried to hit hard first."
Osterloh advances to meet second-seeded Marion Bartoli, while Peng meets third-seeded Daniela Hantuchova.
Shaughnessy, ranked 40th, dropped to 0-7 on hardcourt this year.