Daniilidou ousts Barabanschikova in tennis challenge

Top seed Elena Bovina of Russia played truant while Selima Sfar stuttered a bit but third seed Olga Barabanschikova was blown off the Metropolitan Resort and Beach Club court by wild card entrant Eleni Daniilidou on the second day in the $75,000 Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge.

Sfar overcame a patchy second set to get past another wild card entry Adrienn Hegedus. The Tunisian blasted Hungarian Hegedus 6-1 in the first set but started the second on the wrong foot as Hugedus broke her in the  second game to take 2-0 lead. However, Sfar broke back in the third game but failed to hold her own service in the next game even as Hugedus held her own serve to take 4-1 lead.

"I was in a hurry to wrap up second set hence lost momentum," Sfar said after her 6-1, 6-4 first round win. The Tunisian, who trains with veteran Nathalie Tauziat in Biarritz, then tightened her game to break Hegedus in  the seventh and ninth game to win the second set and the match.

Third seed Barabanschikova was hit by a tornado as tall Daniilidou swept her rival off her feet by conceding only five points off her serve in the second set in which Barabanschikova won altogether 12 points.

Daniilidou later said: "I took time to get into my groove but once I found my rhythm I was in total control." Daniilidou had beaten Barabanschikova of Belarus in the Federation Cup two years ago. However, "Fed Cup is a  different ball game than a Championship clash," said Daniilidou with a smile.

"I was stiff at the start of the first set but cut down on my errors as the match progressed," she said. Daniilidou said that she made Barabanschikova run a lot in the first set. "It was hot and perhaps she got tired in the second set," said Daniilidou while explaining the third-seed‚s inability to win a single game in the second set.

Indian ace Nirupama Vaidyanathan was hampered by cramps, leading 4-3 in the third set against Czech qualifier Milena Nekvapilova, who went on to win 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Court two.

"I have been drinking a lot of liquid here but this is second time I have been troubled by cramps in recent times," said Vaidyanathan, who served with a lot of difficulties in the last two games of the third set in which there were six service breaks. It was truly a day of qualifiers and wild card entrants. Another qualifier Lenka Dlhopolcova of Slovakia rallied from a set down to beat sixth seed Laurence Courtois 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

On top seed Bovina not turning up at the eleventh hour, the tournament director Hani Al Khafief told Gulf News: "Bovina sent a fax message on Monday (first day of the event) evening that she won‚t be coming." He added  that the message also said that a medical certificate, to justify her withdrawal, will soon follow.

However, an early intimation (of pull out) could have saved the organisers a lot of embarrassment.

Results: Selima Sfar bt Adrienn Hegedus (Hun) 6-1, 6-4; Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) bt Olga Barabanschikova (Blr) 6-4, 6-0; Bahia Mouthassine (Mar) bt Klara Koukalova (Cze) 6.2, 6-3; Meliena Nekvapilova (Cze) bt Nirupama  Vaidyanathan (Ind) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Laurence Andretto (Fra) bt Germama di Natale (Ita) 6-2, 6-1; Lucie Ahl (Gbr) bt Tina Hergold (Slo) 6-2, 6-3; Lenka Dlhopolcova (SVK) bt Laurence Courtois (Bel) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Today's matches: Court One: 3.30pm: Eleni Daniiliou (Greece) v Karolina Jagieniak (France); followed by Kyara Nagy (Hun) v Bahia Mouhtassine (Mor);  followed by Laura Dell‚Angelo/Karolina Jagieniak v Adrian Hegedus/Kelly Liggan; followed by Bahia Mouhtassine/Selima Sfar v Antoaneta Pandjerova/  Dessislava topalova. Court Three: 3.30pm: Seda Noorlander (ned) v Nadejda Ostrovskaya (Blr); followed by Angelika Bachmann (ger) v Antoaneta Pandjerova (Bul); Followed by Roberta Vinci/ Maria Paola Zavagli v Alice Barnes/Galina Fokina; followed by Venssa Henke/Nadejda Ostrovskaya v Alyona  Bondarenko/Valeria Bondarenko.