Estoril Open News and Events

Maria Kirilenko

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Defending champion Maria Kirilenko was one of five seeded players who won into the Estoril Open second round, on another hot day at the Estadio Nacional, on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Kirilenko, the Russian second seed, who clinched the singles (d. Benesova) and doubles (w/Pennetta) titles last year, won a marathon three hour and 20 minute encounter over Canadian qualifier Sharon Fichman 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3 for a second round meeting against Argentine Maria Emilia Salerni.

World No. 212 Fichman led by one set and 4-2, before No. 37-ranked Kirilenko fought back for her seventh win of the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season (7-8 record). Kirilenko, who is appearing in Estoril for the fourth time, struck five aces, won 52 per cent of service points and saved seven of 14 break point opportunities.

Kirilenko will next meet Salerni, who defeated Julie Coin of France 6-4, 6-4 in 82 minutes.

Third seed Sorana Cirstea, 19, over fellow tournament debutant Kimiko Date Kruum, who is currently No. 135 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings, by a 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 score line. Cirstea, the World No. 42, converted five of 15 break point opportunities and hit four aces passed her 38-year-old opponent.

Cirstea will next challenge Estonia’s Maret Ani, who knocked out a Portuguese hope, Frederica Piedade, a wild card entry, with a 6-0, 7-6(4) win in one hour and 42 minutes. Ani saved 10 of 12 break points, while breaking 27-year-old Piedade five times. Both players hit seven double faults, but it is World No. 137 Ani who improved her season tally to 8-9.

Fourth-seeded German Sabine Lisicki, who visited Casa Pastéis de Belém with Nikolay Davydenko on Monday, began her quest for the title with a 6-2, 6-2 win over former junior World No. 1 Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium in just 54 minutes.

Despite being broken on two occasions 19-year-old Lisicki managed to win 63 per cent of service points and converted six break point opportunities in the pair’s first meeting. Flipkens, the 2003 junior Wimbledon champion, who is currently No. 99 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings, won just nine first service points on another hot day at the Estadio Nacional.

World No. 38 Lisicki improved to 16-7 on the 2009 season. She will next meet Russian qualifier Elena Bovina, who beat her compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1, 6-3 in 72 minutes. The match contained 12 service breaks, with Bovina clinching eight of 12 opportunities.

Fifth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova made a winning start on her Estoril Open debut cruising past Yanina Wickmayer with a 6-2, 6-4 win for a place in the second round at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour International Series clay-court tournament.

Sixth-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova also experienced few difficulties in beating Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3 in 85 minutes. It was Makarova’s third win over Cetkovska, in the pair’s first meeting since 2006 Torrent, Spain.

World No. 43 Makarova won six of eight break point opportunities and was gifted eight points through double faults against her No. 71-ranked opponent, who drops to 8-9 on the year. Makarova improved to a 10-7 mark and will next meet Hungarian Melinda Czink, who was a 7-5, 7-5 victor over Spanish qualifier Eva Fernandez-Brugues.

Seventh-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer dampened Portuguese spirits when the World No. 54 hit three aces past lucky loser Michelle Larcher de Brito in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 victory in one hour and 51 minutes on Central Court. The 22-year-old Peer, who improved to 13-8 this year, also beat Larcher de Brito at Miami in March by a 6-0, 6-2 score line. Larcher de Brito gained a spot in the main draw, despite losing in the final round of qualifying, when Akiko Morigami of Japan withdrew due to a left knee injury.

"I think at the beginning of the first set I was not playing free, but the other two sets I was playing much more free," said Peer. "I was just playing my tennis. That was the difference between the first set and the other two sets.

"I played [Michelle] last year in Miami, so it is the second time I 've played her. She hits the ball hard, she goes for a lot and takes a lot of risks. She's a good player, so can be much better than she is now, of course. I think she'll have a good career."

The only seeded casualty of the day was fifth seed Petra Kvitova, who lost to Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-4. Wickmayer will now meet Olga Govortsova, a 6-1, 6-2 victor over Russian lucky loser Ekaterina Ivanova, in the second round.

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