Sugiyama, Sprem Swim Upstream at WTA Strasbourg

No. 5 seed Ai Sugiyama (d. (Q) Sromova) and No. 6 Karolina Sprem (d. Sucha in three) on Tuesday led the biggest of the small names competing this week at the WTA stop in Strasbourg.

Other seeds advancing were (7) Amy Frazier (d. Schaul) and (8) Paola Suarez (d. Razzano), while two seeds were bounced in (3) Silvia Farina Elia (l. to Randriantefy) and (4) Shinobu Asagoe (l. to Douchevina).

Other un-seeds into the second round were China's Jie Zheng (d. Rubin) and Shuai Peng (d. Tanasugarn, bagel in the second), Czech Iveta Benesova (d. (Q) Rao), Poland's Marta Domachowska (d. (Q) Gussoni in three), Frenchwomen Emilie Loit (d. Weingartner from a set down) and wildcard Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (d. (Q) Kachlikova), Ukrainian lucky loser Julia Vakulenko (d. Srebotnik), and Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues (d. Stosur).

Rubin made her return to the WTA Tour after missing more than seven months after left knee surgery.

On tap for Wednesday in Strasbourg are Sugiyama vs. Domachowska, Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem vs. Zheng, Peng vs. Tatiana "Hot Pants" Golovin, Cohen-Aloro vs. Suarez, Dechy vs. Benesova, Vakulenko vs. Randriantefy, and Douchevina vs. Loit.