June 20, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1429

EASTBOURNE (England), June 19: Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in the second round of the Eastbourne International on Wednesday.

The grasscourt tournament was also hit by the withdrawal of former Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo who retired in her match against Australia’s Samantha Stosur with a thigh strain.

“I just felt something on the last point of my first service game and then, during the returning game, I felt that I couldn’t really move that well any more or push off my left leg,” Mauresmo, the 2006 Wimbledon champion, told reporters.

Third seed Vera Zvonareva had her Wimbledon preparations cut short when she lost to fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-3, who set up another all-Russian clash against Nadia Petrova.

There was better news for second seed Marion Bartoli as last year’s surprise runner-up at Wimbledon made short work of Austrian Sybille Bammer, dropping just three games to reach the quarter-final.

Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Second round: Gisela Dulko (Argentina) bt Olga Govortsova (Belarus) 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2; Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) bt 3-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-3, 6-3; Samantha Stosur (Australia) bt Amelie Mauresmo (France) 1-2 – Mauresmo retired; Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) bt Aravane Rezai (France) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt 1-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-2, 6-2; 2-Marion Bartoli (France) bt Sybille Bammer (Austria) 6-3, 6-0.

STEPANEK DOUBTFUL

NOTTINGHAM: World No 15 Radek Stepanek is a doubt for Wimbledon after pulling out of the Nottingham Open on Wednesday with a torn muscle under his rib.

The Czech, who was due to play American Vince Spadea in the second round at the grasscourt event in Nottingham, will travel to London for scans on the injury.

“It is not a great moment to have this happen because I am feeling that I am playing really well in the last months and trying to get back to the top 10,” the top seed said.

Giant Croat Ivo Karlovic, the fourth seed, moved through to the quarter-finals after a 7-6, 7-6 win over American Sam Querrey while French Open semi-finalist Gael Monfils progressed with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 defeat of compatriot Julien Benneteau.

Monfils will face Spadea for a place in the semi-finals.

Third seed Fernando Verdasco beat American Bobby Reynolds 6-2, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final with Frenchman Gilles Simon.

Results:

Second round: Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt Alex Bogdanovic (Britain) 6-4, 6-4; 7-Andreas Seppi (Italy) bt Eduardo Schwank (Argentina) 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7); 8-Gael Monfils (France) bt Julien Benneteau (France) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; 3-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt Bobby Reynolds (US) 6-2, 6-3; Vince Spadea (US) bt 1-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) – walkover; 5-Gilles Simon (France) bt Samuel Groth (Australia) 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-4; 4-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) bt Sam Querrey (US) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (16-14).

LJUBICIC DETHRONED

DEN BOSCH (Netherlands): Defending champion Ivan Ljubicic was ousted by Viktor Troicki of Serbia 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in the second round of the Ordina Open on Wednesday.

Fourth seed Ljubicic had 25 aces and lost his serve only once, but in the third-set tiebreaker he squandered a 3-0 lead and dropped five straight points.

Troicki was through to his first quarter-finals since last July at Umag, where he beat Novak Djokovic en route to the semi-finals.

In the quarter-finals, Troicki will face seventh-seeded Guillermo Canas, who beat Rohan Bopanna of India 6-2, 6-4.

Also, Arnaud Clement of France beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-3, and Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina beat Rainer Schuettler of Germany 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5).

In the women’s event, top-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia beat Sara Errani of Italy 6-3, 7-5.

Local favorite Michaella Krajicek overpowered Sania Mirza of India 6-2, 6-2, and seventh-seeded Katarina Srebotnik of Slovakia beat Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan 6-4, 6-3 but injured her left ankle and had to withdraw from the tournament. That advanced third-seeded Dinara Safina to the semi-finals.

Tamarine Tanasugarn beat Ashley Harkleroad of the US 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to reach her first quarter-finals since February at her home event in Pattaya City, Thailand, and set up a last-eight match with Krajicek.

Sorana Cirstea of Romania defeated Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 and faces Dementieva next.

Results:

Men’s singles:

Second round: Viktor Troicki (Serbia) bt 4-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) bt Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5); Arnaud Clement (France) bt Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3, 6-3; 7-Guillermo Canas (Argentina) bt Rohan Bopanna (India) 6-2, 6-4.

Women’s singles:

Quarter-final: 3-Dinara Safina (Russia) bt 7-Katarina Srebotnik

(Slovenia) – walkover.

Second round: 1-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Sara Errani (Italy) 6-3, 7-5; Sorana Cirstea (Romania) bt Mariya Koryttseva (Ukraine) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) bt Ashley Harkleroad (US) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; 7-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) bt Chan Yung-Jan (Taiwan) 6-4, 6-3; Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) bt Sania Mirza (India) 6-2, 6-2.—Agencies