Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo has led a charge of the
seeded brigade on Day One of Australian Open on Monday, finding
herself surrounded by a posse of Russians.
Mauresmo began her title defence in fine style on Rod Laver
Arena with a straight 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Shenay Perry,
setting up a second-round clash with Russia's world No. 38 Olga
Poutchkova, who outplayed Pole Marta Domachowska 6-2, 6-4 to
advance.
A total of six Russian women muscled their way into the second
round of the tournament, along with glamorous Czech Nicole
Vaidisova and Serbian star Jelena Jankovic.
Mauresmo and her opponent exchanged breaks of serve early in the
first set before the Frenchwoman found her range against the
22-year-old Perry to make it 1-0.
The French star then found herself losing concentration after
she broke serve again in the second set first to make it 5-1, which
allowed Perry to win three games in a row.
The second seeded player, however, stayed calm to serve out for
the match to love.
"It was some good moments and some (not so good) moments,
especially at the end to finish off the match where my mind went
out a little bit," Mauresmo said.
"I thought I lost some intensity, some aggression, in the end
where I probably should have closed it out a little bit quicker,
but that's the way it is.
"It's the first match, the first round here."
Mauresmo, the world No. 2, was satisfied with her first match
performance.
"A few things, especially the serve, to work on for the next
match and probably some rhythm a little bit, but overall I thought
it was a good first match," she said.
"There was no added pressure, I felt ready to go on court today
right from the first day and defend the title."
The Russian syndicate was headed by third-seeded Svetlana
Kuznetsova who turned West Australian teenager Jessica Moore's
grand slam debut dream into a nightmare.
Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion, dealt out a 6-2, 6-0
beating to the promising 16-year-old.
Elena Dementieva, the seventh seed, had earlier blazed a pathway
through to the second round when she swamped Frenchwoman Stephanie
Foretz 6-1, 6-2.
Fifth seed Nadia Petrova cut down the defence of Thai Tamarine
Tanasugam with a 6-3, 6-2 victory, while Maria Kirilenko, seeded
26th, overcame a slow start to beat Croatian Karolina Sprem 3-6,
6-3, 6-1.
Vaidisova, the Czech 10th seed, ousted American Jill Craybas
6-4, 5-7, 6-1 while Jankovic beat Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3,
6-3.
Two-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams also eased
into the second round with a straight sets victory over the 27th
seed Mara Santange.
Williams, whose miserable last season was marred by a serious
knee injury, took just over an hour to outplay the Italian 6-2,
6-1.
(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2007)
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