MADRID, Spain – The rain in Spain did not come soon
enough for Amy Frazier.
With just one week before the French Open, Frazier had a
disappointing clay-court season debut Monday as fellow American
Kristina Brandi ousted the fourth seed, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, in the
first round of the $170,000 Madrid Open.
Three other matches involving seeded players were either
suspended or postponed by rain.
Fifth seed Barbara Schett of Austria had her match with Spain's
Maria Jose Martinez postponed. They will square off Tuesday.
In matches that got under way, Jennifer Hopkins leads sixth seed
and fellow American Lisa Raymond, 6-3, and No. 8 Angeles
Montolio of Spain, a winner of two clay-court titles this year,
leads Mariana Diaz-Oliva of Argentina, 7-5, 4-1. Those matches
will resume Tuesday.
Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine got past American Jill Craybas, 6-1,
4-6, 6-2, in the only other match completed Monday.
Former world No. 1 Monica Seles of the United States will
compete in her first clay-court event of the year in preparation
for Paris.
Seles, the top seed, has not played since the Tennis Masters
Series event at Indian Wells in March due to a continuing foot
injury. She went 17-2 on clay last season, winning one title
and reaching the quarterfinals at the French Open.
Seles' only title this season came at the IGA U.S. Indoors in
Oklahoma City and had advanced to the quarterfinals or better in
four events before getting injured.
In 1992, Seles defeated Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain in a
three-set final here.
Sanchez-Vicario, the second seed, is coming off three straight
quarterfinal finishes at Hamburg, Berlin and Rome. She has won
13 of 18 matches on clay this season, winning at the Porto
Ladies Open in Portugal in April.
Seles and Sanchez-Vicario received first-round byes.
Third seed Sandrine Testud of France will take on defending
champion Gala Leon Garcia of Spain in a first-round match
Tuesday.
Leon Garcia captured her first career WTA Tour title last year
in her home country, defeating Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga in the
final.
First prize is $27,000.
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Monday's results
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