 Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 20 May 2008 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 20 May 2008 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 20 May 2008 |  Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 26 Mar 2008 |  Photographer: Paul Zimmer
Date: 09 Aug 2005 |  Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 23 Mar 2008 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 20 May 2008 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 20 May 2008 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 20 May 2008 |
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| 20 May 2008 - Helen McFetridge | |
| Seeds crash out on Day 1 of Italian Open |
The Grade A Italian Open got underway with a string of upsets yesterday, as more than half the seeds in action crashed out. Top of the casualty list were girls’ second seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA), who won only three games against Monika Tumova (CZE), and boys’ fourth seed Juan Vazquez Valenzuela (ARG), who had to retire after three games of his match against Australia’s Andrew Thomas. Lertcheewakarn’s exit is not too great a shock as the Thai has never had much success on clay, but Vazquez Valenzuela, already twice a winner and twice a finalist on clay this year, was considered one of the tournament favourites and indeed a contender at Roland Garros.
Another form player forced to retire from her opening match was girls’ ninth seed Johanna Konta (AUS). Konta won the Grade 1 tournament in Santa Croce last week, but withdrew from her match against Italy’s Nastassja Burnett after losing the first set. It was a successful day for Italy’s girls, with wild cards Camila Giorgi and Martina Di Giuseppe both eliminating seeds. Giorgi defeated her fellow Italian Anastasia Grymalska, the 15th seed, 64 76, while Di Giuseppe knocked out 16th seed Keka Jani (HUN) by an emphatic 62 62 scoreline.
Other seeds to fall in the girls’ event were number 12 Timea Babos (HUN) and number 13 Anna Orlik (BLR), who lost to Valeria Savinykh (RUS) and Valeria Solovieva (RUS) respectively. The pre-tournament favourites in action yesterday all made it through, however, with third seed Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) and number five Elena Bogdan (ROU) having straight sets wins over Karina Pimkina (RUS) and Claudia Giovine (ITA), and sixth seed Ksenia Lykina (RUS) coming through in three sets Ukraine’s Maryna Zanevska.
Five of the top ten boys’ seeds went out in the opening round, with Vazquez Valenzuela followed out by number six Alexandre Folie (BEL), number eight Borut Puc (SLO), number nine Jerome Inzerillo (FRA) and number 10 Takanyi Garanganga (ZIM). Inzerillo’s conqueror was Italian wild card Alessandro Colella, who delighted the home fans by joining his compatriot and fellow wild card Alessandro Giannessi in the second round. Italy’s main hope Giacomo Miccini, the 15th seed, is also still on track after a 64 64 win over Niki Moser (AUT).
Other seeds to go through to round two included number three Jose Pereira (BRA), number seven Marcus Willis (GBR) and number 13 Henrique Cunha (BRA), the winner in Santa Croce last week. Unable to join them were 11th seed Kittipong Wachiramanawong (THA) and 14th seed Matt Reid (AUS), who fell to Russians Evgeny Donskoy and Alexander Lobkov respectively.
Day two sees top seed Bernard Tomic (AUS), second seed Cesar Ramirez (MEX) and fifth seed Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) in action in the boys’ event, all facing local opposition who will be hoping to continue the upsets. In the girls’ draw, top seed Arantxa Rus (NED) and fourth seed Kurumi Nara (JPN) start their campaigns.
Related articles:
World's top juniors head for Grade A in Milan
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