Safarova upsets Radwanska in Qatar Ladies Open in Doha
QATAR LADIES OPEN Doha, Qatar February 21-26, 2011 $721,000/Premier Hard/Outdoors
Monday, February 21, 2011
Singles - First Round Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (7) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 76(3) 63 Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) 75 62 Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 64 62
Doubles - First Round (3) Chan/Zheng (TPE/CHN) d. (WC) Dulgheru/Sfar (ROU/TUN) 64 61 Poutchek/Spears (BLR/USA) d. Jans/Rosolska (POL/POL) 64 62
Singles Qualifying - Final Round (1) Jarmila Groth (AUS) d. (6) Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 76(2) 64 (8) Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. (2) Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 26 76(3) 61 (3) Peng Shuai (CHN) d. (WC) Elena Vesnina (RUS) 63 63 (7) Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) d. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 60 57 64
Lucie Safarova produced the first shock in the 2011 Qatar Ladies Open by knocking out seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska from the first round.
In her third Doha Appearance, the world no. 35 Czech needed a tie break in the first set to win 7-6 (3), before winning the second set 6-3 to reach the second round in this tournament for the first time in her career. Her next opponent will be either Flavia Pennetta (Italy) or Jie Zheng (China).
French star Marion Bartoli was the first to reach the second round on Monday after she defeated Russian promising star Alisa Kleybanova in two straight sets 7-5 6-2.
The 2007 Wimbledon finalist is looking for her first WTA title since defeating Venus Williams in the final of Stanford in August 2009.
Meanwhile, 2006 Qatar Open champion Nadia Petrova of Russia eased into the second round with a 6-4 6-2 win over Roberta Vinci of Italy.
Vinci was also a winner here before, when she grabbed the 2001 doubles title with French Sandarine Testud.
Petrova, who won nine WTA titles over her 12 years career, will now face a tough test in the second round as she will meet World number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
