ROME – The women began play at the Italian Open on Monday,
with Russia's Tatiana Panova rallying to a three-set victory that
set up a match with Martina Hingis.
Panova, ranked 36th, defeated U.S. qualifier Jill Craybas 3-6,
7-5, 6-3 at Foro Italico, an important $1.2 million warmup for the
French Open.
Hingis, seeded first, Jennifer Capriati, Conchita Martinez and
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario all received first-round byes. Venus and
Serena Williams and defending champion Monica Seles were late
dropouts.
Defending French Open champion Mary Pierce, seeded 10th, plays
Tuesday in her first match on European clay this season.
The first seeded player to fall Monday was No. 16 Magui Serna of
Spain, who lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia.
In other first-round play, Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland
routed Kristina Brandi of the United States 6-4, 6-4, and Rita Kuti
Kis of Hungary downed 1997 French Open champion Iva Majoli of
Croatia 6-4, 6-4.
Also advancing to the second round were Daniela Hantuchova and
Janette Husarova of Slovakia, Maria Elena Camerin of Italy and
Bianka Lamade of Germany.
On Sunday, Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero won the men's portion of
the two-week event. His five set victory avenged a five-set loss to
Gustavo Kuerten in last year's French Open semifinals.
He outlasted the top-seeded Brazilian 3-6, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
for the biggest victory of his career.
The match was a showdown of this year's two sharpest clay-court
stars. Ferrero beat the reigning French Open champion two weeks
before Roland Garros.
Ferrero rallied to take the fourth set and then broke Kuerten in
the first game of the final set. This was his fourth win of 2001,
more than any other player on the men's circuit.
Playing in his first Masters Series finals Sunday, the
eighth-seeded Ferrero kept his composure down the stretch while
Kuerten seemed to run out of steam.
The Spaniard ended the match with his eighth ace. He earned
$400,000 for the win, while Kuerten took home $211,000.
Kuerten will still arrive at Roland Garros as the favorite. But
with Ferrero's strong showing at Foro Italico, where he hadn't lost
a set before the finals – he will be one of the Brazilian's biggest
threats.
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Monday's results
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