11 December 2007
Three seeds open Al Habtoor Challenge campaign in style
Khaleej Times - By Edwin Ashie-Nikoi
DUBAI — Three seeded players opened their campaign in the ninth $75,000 ITF Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in style with convincing wins at the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa tennis courts here yesterday.
Second seed Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia faced a slight opposition in the opening set against Germany’s Angelika Roesch but found his rhythm to grind out a 7-6, 6-0 win. The 20-year-old Russian, with ITF ranking of 82, will take on the winner of the match between Mervana Jugic-Salkic and a qualifier.
Six seed Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine also marched into the second round with an easy 6-2, 6-2 victory over Stephanie Gehrlein of Germany. The 24-year-old Ukrainian with ITF ranking of 126, took early control of the match and her strong volleys gave her opponents no chance.
Evgeniya Rodina of Russia, seeded eighth, also had no difficulty as she saw off Canada’s Ekaterina Shulaeva 6-2, 6-1.
Four players, meanwhile, made it to the main draw as they won their final matches in the qualifiers yesterday. Top seed Irena Pavlovic of France swept aside Turkey’s Pemra Ozgen first set resistance to register a 7-6 (4), 6-0 victory. Eighth seed Irina Kuzmina of Latvia also made it to the main draw after she defeated Katerina Avdiyenko of Ukraine 6-4, 6-4.
Two unseeded players, Aleksandra Malyarchikova of Belgium and Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia kept their good performances for spots in the main draw.
The Belgian, who ousted third seed Valentina Sassi of Italy in the first round, recovered from a set down to beat fourth seeded Anastasia Poltoratskaya of Russia 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 for a place in the main draw.
Results: Women’s singles: Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) bt Ekaterina Shulaeva (Canada) 6-2, 6-1; Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) bt Stephanie Gehlein (Germany) 6-2, 6-2; Iroda Tulyaganavo (Uzbekistan) bt Neha Uberoi (USA) 6-4, 6-2; Angelika Roesch (Germany) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) 7-6, 6-0.
Women’s doubles: Ekaterina Bychkova (Russia)/Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) bt Pemra Ozgen (Turkey)/Stefanie Voegel (Switzerland) 5-7, 6-2, 10-2; Selima Sfar (Tunisia)/Martina Sucha (Slovakia) bt Katerina Avdiyenko (Ukraine)/Irina Kuzmina (Latvia); Veronica Kapshay (Ukraine)/Kyra Nagy (Hungary) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (Russia)/Ekaterina Dranets (Russia) 6-1, 6-2.
Women’s singles qualifiers: Vitalia Diatchenko (Russia) bt Anastasia Poltoratskaya (Russia) 1-6, 6-2, 6-0; Irena Pavlovic (France) bt Pemra Ozgen (Turkey) 7-6 (4), 6-0; Alexandra Malyarchikova (Belgium) bt Michael Johansson (Sweden) 6-3, 6-3.
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