June 20, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 04, 1428

AMSTERDAM, June 19: Second seed Ivan Ljubicic overcame a slow start to defeat Gael Monfils 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the first round of the Den Bosch Open on Monday.

In the woman's event, defending champion Michaella Krajicek, sister of 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, beat Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-3, 6-2.

Slovenian sixth seed Katarina Srebotnik was the highest seeded casualty in the women's draw when she was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Germany's Tatjana Malek. Seventh seed Anabel Medina Garrigues was also ousted, beaten 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 by Elena Vesnina.

Dutchman Raemon Sluiter withdrew from the tournament for personal reasons, organisers said on Monday in a statement.

Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: Peter Wessels (Netherlands) beat Nicolas Devilder (France) 6-4 6-3; Antony Dupuis (France) beat Thiemo de Bakker (Netherlands) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); 2-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) beat Gael Monfils (France) 6-3, 3-6, 6-0; Danai Udomchoke (Thailand) beat Raemon Sluiter (Netherlands) – walkover; Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Alexander Peya (Austria) 6-4, 6-4; Christophe Vliegen (Belgium) beat Fabrice Santoro (France) 6-3, 1-1 – Santoro retired.

Women’s singles:

First round: Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Severine Bremond (France) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Sania Mirza (India) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Elena Vesnina (Russia) beat 7-Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-3; Meghann Shaughnessy (US) beat Ksenia Lykina (Russia) 6-2, 6-1; 8-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-1; Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 6-3, 6-2; Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2; Tatjana Malek (Germany) beat 6-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-3, 6-2.

GASQUET WINS

NOTTINGHAM (England): Double-defending champion Richard Gasquet celebrated his 21st birthday on Monday by safely moving into the second round of the Nottingham Open grass court tournament.

The French world number 12, seeded first at the warm-up event for next week's Wimbledon championship, had few problems beating American Vince Spadea 6-3, 6-4.

Gasquet has a special liking for Nottingham having won his first ATP title there on his 19th birthday.

It was a good day for France all round as Sebastien Grosjean beat fifth seeded Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-4 and Gilles Simon beat Andrei Pavel 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Briton Tim Henman was scheduled to join the fray on Tuesday against American Michael Russell.

Monday’s results:

First round: 1-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Vince Spadea (US) 6-3, 6-4; Gilles Simon (France) beat Andrei Pavel (Romania) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat 5-Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) 6-3, 6-4.

VAIDISOVA EXTENDED

EASTBOURNE (England): Teenager Nicole Vaidisova took the long route into the second round of the Eastbourne International on Monday, needing three drawn-out sets to beat Samantha Stosur.

Czech Vaidisova, the only seed in action on a low-key opening day of the grasscourt championships, beat the Australian 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour 48 minutes.

The fifth-seeded Vaidisova will next play a Briton – either wildcard Anne Keothavong or qualifier Elena Baltacha.

The top four seeds, led by defending champion and world No 1 Justine Henin of Belgium, have first-round byes and will join the fray later in the week.

After rain over the weekend, organisers of the $600,000 Wimbledon warm-up event had to finish off qualifying matches on Monday before the main tournament could begin.

More rain on Monday delayed proceedings further and the shadows were already lengthening by the time Vaidisova and Stosur emerged on to the Centre Court.

Stosur, helped by a string of double faults from her opponent, broke the 18-year-old Vaidisova three times to win the first set in 34 minutes.

The Australian, ranked 14 places below Vaidisova at 28th in the world, let her concentration slip at the start of the second set, however, and was broken to love.

She broke back for 2-2 but was broken again to love as the 1.83-metre tall Vaidisova, a French Open quarter-finalist earlier this month, got into her stride.

In the deciding set, Stosur saved five breakpoints in a long third game which went nine times to deuce but lost her next service game to allow Vaidisova to take a 3-2 lead and go on to win.

Vaidisova's compatriot Lucie Safarova had to contend with stiff sea breezes and the hard hitting of German opponent Anna-Lena Groenefeld before getting her place in the second round with a 7-6, 7-6 win.

Monday’s results:

First round: Melanie South (Britain) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3); 5-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-5).