• WTA

Baltacha blown away in Strasbourg

ESPN staff
May 21, 2012
Elena Baltacha lost 6-4 6-0 in 72 minutes © Getty Images
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Britain's Elena Baltacha remains without a WTA Tour victory since March after losing in the first round of the Strasbourg International to Stephanie Foretz Gacon.

Baltacha played in the ITF's Sparta Prague Open event last week, reaching the semi-final, but was unable to carry that form back onto the main tour.

Foretz Gacon, ranked 19 places lower than her opponent, took 72 minutes to record a 6-4 6-0 triumph on home soil.

Also in Strasbourg, top seed Sabine Lisicki, the world No. 12, was sent packing by Pauline Parmentier, who recorded a 6-4 6-4 success.

Meanwhile at the Brussels Open, sixth seed Jelena Jankovic blew her chance to sharpen up ahead of the French Open by suffering an opening-round reverse against Simona Halep.

Jankovic, who lost 6-2 3-6 7-6(3) in just under three hours, has now fallen at the first hurdle of each of her last four tournaments and has dropped out of the world's top 20 for the first time since 2006.

There were wins for fourth seed Dominika Cibulkova and tenth seed Nadia Petrova, however.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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