The qualifying tournament for the ASB Classic international women's tennis tournament in Auckland has upheld its reputation as a start-of-the-year graveyard.
After two rounds of play for places in the tournament, four players will go through to the main draw but only three of the eight highest seeded players made it
to tomorrow's last qualifying round.
Hungarian Melinda Czink, the qualifying tournament's top seed and ranked 79 in the world, was bundled out in today's second round by world No 295 Seiko Okamoto 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 in just 73 minutes.
Claudine Schaul, of Luxembourg, ranked just one place below Czink, did not even make the second round.
She was tipped out in the first in straight sets by Israeli Tzipora Obziler, who went out in the next round to American Tara Snyder in a tight 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 struggle.
Lubomira Kurhajcova, of Slovakia, the world No 86 and fourth seed, also went out in the first round, beaten by 2002 runner-up Tatiana Panova, of Russia, who was then beaten by 2001 Classic winner Meilen Tu (US) in a 2 hour 20 minute marathon.
Tu now plays world No 99 and good friend Jill Craybas this morning for a main draw spot in the EziBuy singles.
"That was hard work," said Tu after playing her second three-set match.
"I played pretty poorly in the first set but hung in there. Maybe in the end I was a little fitter than her."
New Zealand's hopes of getting a player into the main draw ended yesterday when Paula Marama, 19, was beaten in straight sets by eighth seed and Auckland regular Craybas.
Marama, who got through to the second round with a 6-4 6-2 win over another New Zealand wildcard, Dianne Hollands, did not have the consistency to test American Craybas, who was a quarter-finalist in the Classic last year.
"I watched her play in the first round and knew she had a pretty big serve," said 29-year-old Craybas, who was once ranked 57th in the world.
"You can tell she is a talented player. She just looks like she lacks experience."
Marama agreed: "She is the highest-ranked players I have played. I was a bit nervous.
"I served well but she returned very well. I haven't played on this surface [Rebound Ace] much, which didn't help," Marama said.
"The biggest difference between ITF (the second- tier International Tennis Federation circuit) players and those on the WTA is the error rate.
"I have to cut down on those and become more consistent," said Marama, ranked 567 at the start of this tournament and who wants to make the top 300 this year.
"Hopefully, I can get my ranking low enough to come back next year."
Other New Zealand wildcards went out in the first round.
Leanne Baker lost 6-1 6-1 to American Shenay Perry and Ilke Gers went down 0-6 4-6 to Italian Mara Santangelo.
Perry and Santangelo are through to the third round.
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The qualifying tournament for the ASB Classic international women's tennis tournament in Auckland has upheld its reputation as a start-of-the-year graveyard.
After two rounds of play for places in the tournament, four players will go through to the main draw but only three of the eight highest seeded players made it
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