Barloti, Garbin Lead Way in Acapulco

Posted on February 28, 2007

ACAPULCO, México - The seeds came out of the blocks strongly on Tuesday at the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL presented by HSBC, with six of the eight winning opening first round matches at the $180,000, Tier III event held on the red clay courts of Acapulco.

The tournament's six highest seeds, led by Marion Bartoli, were all victorious in their first appearances of the week. The No.1-seeded Bartoli was a 76(7) 62 winner over French countrywoman Camille Pin. She hopes to make her first solid run of the year this week; after a breakthrough 2006 that saw her win her first three titles and crack the world's Top 20, the Frenchwoman has had a tough beginning to the new year, falling first or second round at every one of six tournaments coming in.

The next-five highest seeds were also winners. No.2 seed Tathiana Garbin was a 46 62 64 winner over Rossana de los Rios, a battle that finished well into the night; No.3-seeded Martina Müller beat Jill Craybas, 64 63; No.4 seed Severine Brémond beat Ekaterina Dzehalevich, 76(5) 64; No.5-seeded Flavia Pennetta downed Lourdes Domínguez Lino, 63 63; and No.6 seed Gisela Dulko defeated lucky loser Jenifer Widjaja, 62 62. Pennetta in particular has had some excellent runs at this event, winning it in 2005 and finishing runner-up in 2004 and 2006.

Sybille Bammer and Nicole Pratt were the week's very first upset victims. No.7 seed Bammer, who recently captured her maiden title in Pattaya City, fell in a tight two-setter, 62 76(6), to Italian qualifier Sara Errani, while Pratt, who just recently broke back into the world's Top 50, was outlasted by Mexican wildcard Melissa Torres Sandoval, 26 63 63.

Winners in matches between non-seeds were Roberta Vinci, Eva Birnerova and qualifiers Alize Cornet and Zsofia Gubacsi. Vinci has now won six consecutive matches, having won five en route to her maiden title last week in Bogotá. She will next play Pennetta, whom she beat in the semifinals down in Colombia.

There was one notable doubles upset with No.4-seeded Czechs Lucie Hradecka and Hana Sromova falling to Domínguez Lino and Arantxa Parra Santonja.

All eight second round matches will take the court Wednesday with the quarters to follow Thursday, the semis Friday and the final on Saturday night. (WTA)