Estoril Open 2007 News and Events

Marion Bartoli
© AFP/Getty Images

Top-seeded Marion Bartoli knocked out Portuguese wild card Nueza Silva 6-2, 6-1 in 75 minutes for a place in the Estoril Open second round on Tuesday.

Bartoli is looking to kick-start her 2007 campaign, having failed to reach the last 16 of the tournament she has played. She has an 8-11 match record this year.

The 22-year-old Frenchwoman captured three Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles last year in Auckland, Tokyo [Japan Open] and Quebec City.

She is currently No. 23 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings, just six places shy of her career-high mark.

Bartoli will next meet Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual, the world No. 115, who knocked out Camille Pin of France 6-4, 7-6(4) in one hour and 58 minutes. Ruano Pascual, 33, is the oldest player in the draw.

Second-seeded Francesca Schiavone, contesting her first match in Estoril since 2001, defeated Croatian Ivana Lisjak 6-1, 7-5 in one hour and 48 minutes.

Former World No. 11 Schiavone, now No. 26 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings, improves to 7-8 this year. She has reached just one quarterfinal this year in Doha (l. to Kuznetsova).

The Italian will next meet Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

The youngest player in the draw, 16-year-old Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, cruised past fourth-seeded Martina Muller 6-4, 6-0 in 62 minutes to set up a second round meeting with another German, qualifier Greta Arn, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Spanish lucky loser Laura Pous Tio.

Arn had beaten Pous Tio 6-1, 7-5 in the final round of qualifying on Monday.

Swede Sophia Arvidsson enjoyed a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Portuguese wild card Frederica Piedade, currently No. 284 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings, in just 42 minutes. Piedade won just 20 of 72 points in total.

Meanwhile, dangerous floater Gisela Dulko of Argentina earned a 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 victory over German Julia Schruff in 90 minutes.

Dulko, the world No. 34, captured her maiden career title in Budapest, Hungary, over Romanian qualifier Mihaela Sorana Cirstea last week.