By TERRY MADDAFORD
The first day of the women's international had a calm-before-the-storm look about it yesterday.
The only two seeds in action at the ASB Bank Classic won, although seventh seed Amy Frazier dropped the first set before beating Martina Sucha.
Pavlina Nola, the only New Zealander on court at Stanley St, had a match she would prefer to forget, going down in straight sets to third seed Anne Kremer 2-6, 3-6.
Later, Conchita Martinez had her first outing in Auckland in 13 years.
She and doubles partner Barbara Swartz bowed out in straight sets, 3-6, 3-6 to fourth seeds Kveta Hrdlickova and Henrieta Nagyova.
Hrdlickova and Nagyova will be back on court this evening facing each other in a singles clash in which second seed Nagyova will be favoured.
The first match on centre court yesterday held some interest, even if it was from the qualifying tournament, as 18-year-old Argentine Maria-Emilia Salerni took her favoured opponent Silvija Talaja (Croatia) to three sets, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 2-6.
Salerni, a wildcard at last year's tournament, fell at the final hurdle, but her second-set fightback gave her some encouragement before her first-round doubles tonight.
Kremer, the winner in Auckland two years ago and a quarter-finalist last year, admitted later she was a bit rusty and she was happy to get through.
"I haven't had a match for a month so it was not surprising there were a few mistakes," said Kremer, who is playing in Auckland for the fourth time.
"I have to be more aggressive and consistent if I'm going to do well."
Nola was the victim of a bad line-call in the first game en route to dropping her serve.
While she broke back in the second game, she immediately dropped serve again and did not hold until the seventh game. Kremer served the first set out at 6-2 in less than 30 minutes.
The second set was much the same. Nola again dropped her opening serve and never recovered, eventually losing 3-6. It was all over in less than an hour.
"I'm extremely annoyed. I did not play as well as I know I can," the Bulgarian-born Nola said after playing her first match here as a New Zealander.
"I was not hitting the ball as well as I have in practice. Yes, my service game let me down."
Without blaming outside influences, Nola agreed there were a "few shocking calls."
"I wanted to play so well in front of a New Zealand crowd, but things did not go my way."
Shelley Stephens, the only New Zealander left in the tournament, faces a tough time today.
She will play her singles on a back court against Swartz, No 89 on the WTA rankings, almost certainly at the same time as the second match on centre court between Anna Kournikova and Cara Black.
Stephens will have her time in the spotlight later when she and Joana Cortez play Meilen Tu and Emmanuelle Gagliardi in the last match of the afternoon session.
Today's schedule. -
Centre court (from 11am): Selima Sfar (Tunisia) v 6-Meilen Tu (US), Anna Kournikova (Russia) v Cara Black (Zimbabwe), 4-Conchita Martinez (Spain) v Kristina Brandi (US), 1-Angeles Montolio (Spain) v Alina Jidkova (Russia), Tu/Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) v Joana Cortez (Brazil)/Shelley Stephens (NZ). From 7 pm: Kveta Hrdlickova (Czech) v 2-Henrieta Nagyova (Slovakia), 3-Maria-Emilia Salerni/Patricia Tarabini (Argentina) v Julie Pullin (Britain)/Mariana Diaz Olivia (Argentina).
Court four (from 11 am): Milagros Sequera (Venezuela) v Jennifer Hopkins (US), Barbara Swartz (Austria) v Stephens, Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina)/Amy Frazier (US) v 2-Maria Jose Martinez/Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain), Diaz Oliva v Silvija Talaja, Janette Husarova (Slovakia)/Maja Matevzic (Slovenia) v Jidkova/Andrea Vanc (Romania).
Court six (from noon): Anastasia Rodionova (Russia)/Caroline Schneider (Germany) v Kim Grant (South Africa)/Abigail Spears (US), 5- Tatiana Panova (Russia) v Seda Noorlander (Netherlands), Tatiana Poutchek (Bulgaria) v Marie-Eve Pelletier (Canada).