Sport | Tennis
Seeds blown away in opening round of the Qatar Open
Lisicki, Hantuchova give up one set leads against Kerber, Halep
- AP
- Published: 00:00 February 16, 2012
- Image Credit: Angelique Kerber serves the ball to Sabine Lisicki during their match at the Qatar Open in Doha on T
- Angelique Kerber serves the ball to Sabine Lisicki during their match at the Qatar Open in Doha on Tuesday. Despite falling a set behind, Kerber won the first-round encounter 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 against her Fed Cup teammate. Reuters
Doha: Seeded players Sabine Lisicki and Daniela Hantuchova lost in the opening round of the Qatar Open on Tuesday after holding one-set leads.
Angelique Kerber overcame a stomach bug to defeat the ninth-seeded Lisicki 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in an all-German match, and Simona Halep of Romania downed the 15th-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) after two hours, 32 minutes.
Kerber, a US Open semi-finalist who won her first WTA title at the Open GDF Suez last week, will play Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.
"I hung in there despite stomach problems," Kerber said. "I think we both played a great game. It was a difficult match for me because she's not just a great player but a great friend. We have played on the Fed Cup together, so to beat her wasn't easy"
Lisicki disagreed with Kerber about her own form.
"I think in general I played an awful match," Lisicki said. "I think in the last ten tournaments I didn't make as many unforced errors as I did today alone."
Serve instrumental
Playing predominantly from the baseline on centre court at Khalifa Tennis Complex, Halep's serve in the third-set tiebreaker proved instrumental in knocking out last week's Pattaya Open champion.
Halep will next meet Iveta Benesova, who beat fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Julia Goerges, seeded 16th, downed Anastasia Yakimova 6-2, 6-2 and Lucie Safarova defeated Urszula Radwanska 6-3, 6-4.
Petra Cetkovska beat Petra Martic 7-6, 7-5, Anabel Medina Garrigues topped Klara Zakopalova 6-4, 6-1, and Romania's Sorana Cirstea won 6-4, 6-1 against Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia.
Also, Maria Kirilenko of Russia defeated Jie Zheng of China 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and Yamina Wickmayer of Belgium crushed Japan's Ayumi Morita 6-2, 6-1.
Results
Singles First Round:
- Simona Halep, Romania, def. Daniela Hantuchova (15), Slovakia, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
- Maria Kirilenko, Russia, def. Zheng Jie, China, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
- Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium, def. Ayumi Morita, Japan, 6-2, 6-1.
- Julia Goerges (16), Germany, def. Anastasia Yakimova, Belarus, 6-2, 6-2.
- Iveta Benesova, Czech Republic, def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
- Angelique Kerber, Germany, def. Sabine Lisicki (9), Germany, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
- Petra Cetkovska, Czech Republic, def. Petra Martic, Croatia, 7-6 (5), 7-5.
- Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic, def. Urszula Radwanska, Poland, 6-3, 6-4.
- Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spain, def. Klara Zakopalova, Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-1.
- Sorana Cirstea, Romania, def. Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia, 6-4, 6-1.
- Flavia Pennetta, Italy, def. Dominika Cibulkova (11), Slovakia, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
- Virginie Razzano, France, def. Ons Jabeur, Tunisia, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
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