ROME – French Open champion Mary Pierce lost her European
clay-court debut Tuesday, falling in the first round of the Italian
Open to Russia's Nadia Petrova.
|  | | Nadia Petrova dominated Mary Pierce on Tuesday. |
The 10th-seeded Frenchwoman looked stiff and unfocused in her
6-2, 6-4 defeat at the $1.2 million event, an important tuneup for
the French Open in two weeks.
Top-seeded Martina Hingis and third-seeded Conchita Martinez had
no problems. Hingis routed Russia's Tatiana Panova 6-2, 6-3 in the
second round, and Martinez advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over
Janette Husarova of Slovakia.
Hingis, whose match also took less than an hour, is intent on
winning at Roland Garros, where she has reached two finals.
"I have as much chance now as I've ever had to win the French
Open," she said.
Pierce, who won at Foro Italico in 1997, was beaten by the WTA's
62nd-ranked player.
"It'd be easy for me to get down on myself and have all these
negative emotions," Pierce said. "But you know, it's not a big
deal."
Pierce was asked what aspect of her game needed work.
"Everything," she said.
Pierce broke Petrova just once, to even the second set at 2-2.
But the Russian broke back at love to go up 3-2.
"She didn't play her best," Petrova said. "I was just hitting
a little bit away from her and she wouldn't move."
Three other seeded players were beaten -- No. 9 Anke Huber of
Germany, No. 12 Sandrine Testud of Belgium and No. 15 Barbara
Schett of Austria.
Lina Krasnoroutskaya beat Huber 6-2, 6-3; Silvia Farina Elia
downed Testud 6-1, 1-6, 6-3; and Elena Likhovtseva topped Schett
6-2, 6-4.
No. 13 Meghann Shaughnessy and No. 14 Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia
won first-round matches.
Other first-round winners Tuesday included Denisa Chladkova of
Czech Republic, Francesca Schiavone of Italy and Joannette Kruger
of South Africa.
Daniela Hantuchova beat fellow Slovakian Henrieta Nagyova 6-0,
6-1 to advance to the third round.
On Monday, two of the three Americans playing were beaten.
Kristina Brandi was ousted by Swiss qualifier Emmanuelle Gagliardi
6-4, 6-4. Jill Craybas squandered a one-set advantage to Russia's
Tatiana Panova, losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Only Lilia Osterloh moved to
the second round, stopping Czech Sandra Kleinova 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
The first seeded player to fall Monday was No. 16 Magui Serna of
Spain who lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to Slovakia's Henrieta Nagyova.
Hungary's Rita Kuti Kis downed 1997 French Open champion Iva Majoli
6-4, 6-4.
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