Ivanovic shrugs off knee worries

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:30

The Serbian’s build-up to Roland Garros has been hampered by the injury she sustained in Rome earlier this month and she played on Philippe Chatrier court with partial strapping on the front of her knee.

The 21-year-old, the eighth seed this year, posted a 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 victory over an opponent currently 44th in the world but she struggled to find her best form, especially in the first set.

The highest-profile casualty was 16th seed Amelie Mauresmo, the Frenchwoman who again failed at her home grand slam. The 29-year-old former Wimbledon champion, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals here, lost 6-4 6-3 to Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld.

Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi was the other seed (19) to be eliminated after a 7-6 (7/2) 3-6 6-2 loss to Yaroslava Shvedova.

Nadia Petrova, the 11th seed, gave out few presents as she powered past United States wildcard Lauren Embree 6-1 6-2. The Russian could meet compatriot Maria Sharapova in round two.

And earlier in the day there were wins for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Na Li. Russia’s Pavlyuchenkova, the 27th seed, beat Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania 6-3 6-2 and China’s Li, the 25th seed, ousted Marta Domachowska 6-4 6-2.

The Czech Republic’s Iveta Benesova, seeded 32, also went through thanks to the retirement of Julia Goerges, who was 7-5 4-1 behind when she pulled up injured.

Mathilde Johansson, one of 19 Frenchwomen in the first round of the main draw, was reduced to tears in the final stages of her defeat by Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko after blowing a host of match points to go down 2-6 6-2 10-8 in a marathon match.

Frenchwomen Emilie Loit, Severine Bremond Beltrame and Olivia Sanchez also lost, to Timea Bacsinszky, Elena Vesnina and Arantxa Rus respectively, but the locals were able to cheer Julie Coin’s straight-sets victory over Nuria Llagostera Vives.

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