14 April 2004	Wednesday	23 Safar 1425

CHARLESTON, April 13: Conchita Martinez of Spain became just the seventh woman in the Open era to win 700 career matches when she cruised through her first round encounter at the Family Circle Cup on Monday in Charleston, North Carolina.

The 16th seed reached the milestone with an easy 6-1 6-0 victory of Tian Tian Sun of China. Ranked 24th in the world, the 31-year-old Martinez has enjoyed a successful career highlighted by 32 career WTA titles, including a Wimbledon singles victory in 1994 and final appearances at the French and Australian Opens.

She is also a two-time champion of this event. While Martinez moved on with ease, two other seeded players were first round casualties at the clay court tournament.

Karolina Sprem of Croatia defeated 15th seeded Nathalie Dechy of France 6-4 6-4 while Marie-Gayanay Mikaelian of Switzerland outgunned 14th-seeded Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia 6-2 6-2.

Results (first round): Karolina Sprem (CRO) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 6-4, 6-4; Anabel Medina Garrigues (SPA) bt Cara Black (ZIM) 6-4, 6-0; Dally Randriantefy (MAD) bt Lisa Raymond (USA) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2; Samantha Reeves (USA) bt Laura Granville (USA) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3;Severine Beltrame (FRA) bt Jie Zheng (CHN) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; Marie-Gayanay Mikaelian (SWI) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (COL) 6-2, 6-2; Conchita Martinez (SPA) bt Tian Tian Sun (CHN) 6-1, 6-0; Virginia Ruano Pascual (SPA) bt Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (SPA) 6-2, 6-3; Patty Schnyder (SWI) bt Marlene Weingartner (GER) 7-5, 7-6 (7/2); Teryn Ashley (USA) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Kelly McCain (USA) bt Arantxa Parra (SPA) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1; Jelena Kostanic (CRO) bt Tatiana Perebiynis (UKR) 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-0.

SQUILLARI UPSETS DENT

NEW YORK: Third-seeded American Taylor Dent was upset by Franco Squillari of Argentina 0-6 7-5 7-6 in the opening round of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston on Monday.

The unseeded Squillari was utterly outplayed in the opening set and trailed 4-1 in the second before rallying to knock the world's 35th ranked player out of the tournament.

Fourth-seeded American James Blake had an easier time in his opening round match, defeating American wild card Wayne Odesnik 6-4 6-2 in the defeated player's ATP Tour debut.

In the only other match involving a seeded player on a rainy night, seventh seeded Luis Horna of Peru defeated another American wild card, Brian Vahaly 6-3 6-1. In the late matches, American Todd Martin easily beat Italy's Martin Vassallo Arguello 6-1 6-2 and in a battle of German players, Tomas Behrend stopped Alexander Popp 6-1 6-3.

First prize in the tournament is $52,000.

Monday's results (x denotes seeded player):

1st rd: Franco Squillari (ARG) bt Taylor Dent (USA x3) 0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5); James Blake (USA x4) bt Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-4, 6-2; Luis Horna (PER x7) bt Brian Vahaly (USA) 6-3, 6-1; Todd Martin (USA) bt Martin Vassallo Arguello (ITA) 6-1, 6-2; Tomas Behrend (GER) bt Alexander Popp (GER) 6-1, 6-3.

CLIJSTERS UNCERTAIN

BRUSSELS: World number two Kim Clijsters is unsure whether she will be fit enough to make it all the way through the French Open next month. Clijsters had to withdraw from the Pacific Life Open in California last month with a wrist injury and initially thought she would be out for up to six weeks.

"This injury is profoundly disturbing the planning of my tennis year (and) I'm already fearing that I won't (enter) Roland Garros with the confidence that I will be part of it into the final phase," she was quoted as saying in Belgian daily Het Belang van Limburg.

"I will have to adjust my ambitions and aim more at Wimbledon than at Roland Garros." Clijsters said on her website her wrist now felt a lot better, although it had still not wholly recovered. She added that she would test her wrist on Wednesday.

"If Wednesday's test is more or less okay, than I can start playing using tape." Clijsters, who suffered bone bruising and tendinitis in her left wrist in her second round victory over Germany's Angelika Roesch at Indian Wells, added it was doubtful whether she would play in Belgium's Fed Cup clash with Croatia later this month.

"It's perfectly possible that I will only decide that same day whether to play or not," she said of the April 24-25 world group first round tie in Bree. The French Open runs from May 24 until June 6. Wimbledon begins on June 21. -Reuters