SARASOTA, Florida, April 2: Argentina’s Paola Suarez ousted top seed Jelena Dokic from the Sarasota Open here Tuesday, dethroning the defending champion from Yugoslavia 6-3, 6-3 at the $140,000 clay-court event.

Dokic snapped a four-match losing streak at Key Biscayne in a run to the quarterfinals last month, but went down to the South American in a first-round match at her first tune-up event for next month’s French Open.

Also ousted was the woman Dokic beat in last year’s final, Russian eighth seed Tatiana Panova. Uzbekhistan’s Iroda Tulyaganova beat Panova 6-3, 7-5.

Russia’s Alexandra Myskina, the second seed, advanced with a 6-0, 6-3 triumph over France’s Emile Loit. Swiss third seed Patty Schnyder was eliminated by American Ansley Cargill.

Also advancing was Argentina’s Clarisa Fernandez, who beat American Maureen Drake 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Results: First Round: Paola Suarez bt Jelena Dokic 6-3, 6-3;

Anastasia Myskina bt Emilie Loit 6-0, 6-3; Iroda Tulyaganova bt Tatiana Panova 6-3, 7-5; Clarisa Fernandez bt Maureen Drake 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.—AFP