Tennis: More seeded players fall in Classic 1st round

By TERRY MADDAFORD

American Laura Granville joined a growing list of seeded players eliminated in the first round of the ASB Classic women's tennis tournament when she lost in straight sets in Auckland today.

Granville joined Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) and Maria Vento-Kabchi (Venezuela), who bowed out of the tournament yesterday.

In early matches today qualifiers Tathinana Garbin (Italy), Shenay Perry (US) and 2001 winner Meilen Tu (US) upset higher-ranked opponents to win through to tomorrow's second round.

Twenty-six-year-old Garbin enjoyed her centre court appearance, taking just 1-1/2 hours to upset sixth seed Granville 7-6 (7-2) 6-1.

It was a first meeting for the pair with Garbin having the advantage of playing her fourth match in as many days.

She will not have that on her side when she meets Perry tomorrow in a match which will ensure at least one qualifier will reach the quarterfinals.

In their only previous meeting, Garbin fought back from match point down to beat Perry 4-6 7-5 6-2 at the Amelia Island tournament in April last year.

Garbin, too aggressive for Granville, has the pedigree to give plenty of cheek in this tournament, having included Monica Seles, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Jelena Dokic among her scalps.

Granville raced to 3-0, breaking Garbin to love in the second game before the Italian hit back. The first set went to a tiebreak which Garbin led 3-1 and 5-2 before winning the last two points - on Granville's serve.

The second set was all Garbin as she won 6-1 in just 30 minutes.

Perry caused a minor upset with her 6-4 6-3 win over one-time world No 28 Virginia Ruano Pascal (Spain).

Afro-American Perry broke her opponent in the fourth and eighth games and took Ruano Pascual to advantage four times before the Spaniard won the sixth game for 3-3.

At 4-4 in the second, Perry held serve and then broke Ruano Pascual in the 10th game to win.

Asked about the role the Williams sisters had played in bringing an awareness to women's tennis for Afro-Americans, Perry said: "They have opened a lot of doors. I have a lot of respect for all women playing our game."

And her hoped-for highlight for this year?

"Making the main draw at Roland Garros," Perry said.

This is a tournament of firsts for the 19-year-old.

"My first time to Auckland, the first time I'm going to the Australian Open and the first time I have played on a Rebound Ace court."

Like Garbin, Perry is determined to take a point-at-a-time approach into tomorrow's match.

Tu, after three tough three-set victories through qualifying, had it a little easier today, with her 6-3 6-4 win over Japan's Akiko Morigami and will meet seventh seed Marlene Weingartner (Germany) -- a straight sets winner over Spain's Arantxa Parra -- in the second round.

Last year's beaten semifinalists, unseeded Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) and second seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (Israel) are safely through.

Gagliardi needed just 70 minutes to see off Czech Klara Koukalova 6-4 6-2.

It was tougher for Smashnova-Pistolesi.

Whipped 6-1, after holding serve for 1-0 in the first set, the Israeli clawed her way back against Julia Vakulenko, who had produced a structured all-court game in the opening set.

At 4-4 in the second set, the Ukrainian dropped her serve to trail 4-5 and immediately called for treatment on blistered feet.

Smashnova-Pistolesi held for 6-4 and then raced to 5-1 in the third before winning the 1hr 49min match 1-6 6-4 6-3, Vakulenko handing it to her with two double faults.

She plays American Ashley Harkleroad tomorrow.

Top seed Paola Suarez, in a match hindered by a rain delay, also had a tenative start, dropping two of her three service games against American Tara Snyder and faced a long night to see if she was to survive.