Seeds struggle in Auckland

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:11

Third seed Anabel Medina Garrigues was the only one to take her match to three sets as fourth seed Aleksandra Wozniak, number six seed Nicole Vaidisova, seventh-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro were sent packing in straight sets.

Top seed Elena Dementieva, second Caroline Wozniacki and fifth seed Shahar Peer all progressed to the quarter-finals, however.

The biggest upset of the day was Canadian Wozniak’s 7-5 6-2 loss to Japanese qualifier Ayumi Morita.

Medina Garrigues went down 3-6 6-2 7-5 to Romanian Edina Gallovits, Vaidisova lost to Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-3, Pavlyuchenkova was defeated by last year’s finalist Aravane Rezai 6-2 6-3 and Suarez Navarro lost out to Brit Anne Keothavong 6-2 6-4.

Russian Dementieva, the world number four and Olympic gold medallist, thoroughly outclassed New Zealander Marina Erakovic in what was a relatively straightforward 6-2 6-3 straight-sets victory in just under an hour-and-a-half.

Dementieva’s power was too much for the world number 66, although the Kiwi could also point to a below-par serving game that was the high point in her first round victory over Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives.

Israeli Peer was too good for Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, winning in three sets 6-3 4-6 6-2 and Wozniacki overcame American Jill Craybas 6-4 7-5.

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