• WTA Tour

No problems for Vesnina in Paris

ESPN staff
February 8, 2010
Elena Vesnina capitalised on a tame second serve © Getty Images
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Eighth seed Elena Vesnina progressed at the Open GDF Suez with a 6-4 6-1 defeat of Alexandra Dulgheru.

The World No. 29 took full advantage of her opponent's tame second serve - Dulgheru winning just 39% of her points after the first attempt was a fault - to control the match and secure four breaks.

Dulgheru is still searching for her first Tour win of the year, while Vesnina next plays either Tathiana Garbin or qualifier Ioana Raluca Olaru.

World No. 34 Agnes Szavay advanced after Olga Govortsova, in Fed Cup action last week for Belarus, retired due to sickness with the score at 6-3 1-0.

The tournament's top two seeds, Elena Dementieva and Flavia Pennetta, each received opening-round byes.

At the Pattaya Open, second seed Sabine Lisicki was only briefly on court in her first round match after opponent Akgul Amanmuradova retired hurt. Anna Chakvetadze's opening performance was markedly longer as she came through a testing match against Jill Craybas 6-1 3-6 6-3.

In an encounter that pitted two players at opposing stages of their career against each other, the veteran Craybas struggled with her second serve - winning just 28% of her points on it. Eventually, the Russian's class prevailed, and she will be in the second round draw.

Home favourite Noppawan Lertcheewakarn was involved in an epic struggle against Chanelle Scheepers during a match that nearly lasted three hours. It was Scheepers who summoned the skill to bring the contest to a conclusion, winning 6-7(9) 6-4 6-4.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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