Tennis: Ranking gives Stephens berth against top seed

A WTA singles ranking of 357 was good enough to give New Zealand's Shelley Stephens a place in the main draw of the US$75,000 ($161,707) women's tennis tournament in Batumi, Georgia.

In the first round of the singles Stephens will play the top seed and world's 62nd ranked player Tatiana Poutchek of Bulgaria.

Stephens and her doubles partner Katarina Daskovic of Yugoslavia are the second seeds. They will play Sybille Bammer of Austria and Italian Laura Dell'angelo in the first round.

Meanwhile, Leanne Baker has exited the singles qualifying in the second round of the US$75,000 event in Albuquerque, New Mexico when she lost to Dutch player Anousjka Van Exel 2-6 0-6.

- NZPA