December 31, 2001	Monday	Shawwal 15, 1422

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

GOLD COAST (Australia), Dec 30: Slovenia’s Tina Pisnik upset third seed Sandrine Testud of France 6-4 7-5 in the first round of the opening women’s tournament of the new year, the Australian hardcourt, Sunday.

Pisnik, ranked 63rd in the world, won in 90 minutes. Testud lost her cool in the humid conditions, double-faulting in the final game after a net was called on her serve.

“The umpire was unaware of what was happening ... but you have to deal with it,” Testud said. The tournament is a warm-up for the Australian Open starting on Jan 14.

First round results from the Australian women’s hardcourt tennis championship Sunday * Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat Alexandra Stevenson (U.S.) 6-2 1-6 6-4; Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Cristina Torrens-Valero (Spain) 6-2 6-1; 7-Daja Bedanova (Czech Republic) beat Christina Wheeler (Australia) 6-4 6-4; Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-2 6-0; Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) beat 3-Sandrine Testud (France) 6-4 7-5.

—Reuters