Seeds, Coach Gilbert Scatter at WTA Strasbourg

Posted on May 19, 2005

Tatiana Golovin's test-partnership with coach Brad Gilbert hit a snag Wednesday at the WTA stop in Strasbourg when the No. 2-seeded Frenchwoman was ousted in three sets by China's Shuai Peng.

No. 1 on Gilbert's agenda will be improving the clunky footwork of Golovin, who has struggled on the red dirt.

"I really have a hard time moving around on the red clay," Golovin said. "My shots aren't as effective against my opponents on this surface. I'm obviously disappointed to lose my first match, but I feel I played better than I did in Rome and that's the positive feeling I'll take from today. Also, it felt great to be seeded No. 2 and to have a full stadium of fans cheering for me."

Gilbert is now off to Paris for his commentating duties with ESPN.

Joining the hot-pants-wearing French teen on the sidelines were fellow seeds (5) Ai Sugiyama (l. to Domachowska in three), (7) Amy Frazier (l. to Medina Garrigues after winning the first set), and (8) Paola Suarez, who withdrew from her match against French wildcard Stephanie Cohen-Aloro with an adductor strain.

Seeds moving unscathed into the quarters Wednesday were (1) Nathalie Dechy (d. Benesova) and (6) Karolina Sprem (d. Zheng), joined by two additional unseeded players in Madagascar's finest Dally Randriantefy (d. Vakulenko), and Russian Vera Douchevina (d. Loit).

For the struggling Spreminator it is her first quarterfinal of 2005 on the WTA Tour.

Thursday's QF match-ups are Douchevina vs. Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues, Domachowska vs. Peng, Dechy vs. Cohen-Aloro, and Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem vs. Randriantefy.