First Round Action Begins; Black, Huber Among Winners

The first round of the Kremlin Cup kicked off on Monday, with all three matches seeing underdogs taking out the favorites, although no seeded players were in action. The world's No.1 doubles team also made a strong start in their hunt for a ninth doubles title of the season.
 
Amélie Mauresmo was the first of three winners on Day 1, taking out young countrywoman Alizé Cornet in a two-hour, 39-minute marathon, 67(3) 63 64. Although Mauresmo had won both of her previous meetings with Cornet, she is currently ranked six places lower (No.25 to No.19). The Frenchwomen put on an entertaining display of power and craft, but in the end it was the 29-year-old who improved to 3-0 against the 18-year-old.
 
World No.20 Dominika Cibulkova advanced past world No.15 Marion Bartoli when Bartoli retired with a left toe injury trailing 61 41, and wildcard Vera Dushevina - ranked No.77 in the world - beat No.22 Nicole Vaidisova in the last match of the day, 61 36 63. The victory was even more special for Dushevina, given she was celebrating her 22nd birthday on Monday, and in front of her home crowd, too.
 

Cara Black and Liezel Huber, coming off four weeks off after winning their fourth Grand Slam doubles title together at the US Open, weren't very rusty during a 62 64 first round win against Akgul Amanmuradova and Darya Kustova. Black and Huber have been co-ranked No.1 in the world in doubles since the season-end rankings last November and are the top seeds here in the Russian capital.
 
In the other first round doubles matches there was one upset, as No.3 seeds the Bondarenko sisters lost to Maria Kirilenko and Flavia Pennetta, 64 64.
 
Katarina Srebotnik, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani and Anna Lapushchenkova secured main draw berts with wins in the final round of qualifying.

Go Back