Kirilenko, Srebotnik Star at WTA Portoroz

Posted on July 21, 2008

PORTOROZ, Slovenia -- This popular Sony Ericsson WTA Tour stop-off in picturesque Slovenia kicks off on Monday as players prepare for some night time tennis at the Banka Koper Slovenia Open. Maria Kirilenko will be this year's No.1 seed and last year's runner-up will also be returning, hoping to claim the title at the Tier IV event.

This year's Estoril and Barcelona winner will be looking for her fifth Tour singles title in Portoroz as No.19-ranked Kirilenko heads the draws as No.1 seed. She had a strong start to the year, reaching her first Grand Slam fourth round at the Australian Open, and known for her good hardcourt tennis the Russian is one of the favorites but has last year's runner-up to contend with.

Katerina Srebotnik is back in her home country and the 2005 and 2007 finalist at Portoroz has more to prove than ever as she hopes that it will be third time lucky. In recent months she reached the semifinals in Prague and the quarterfinals at 's-Hertogenbosch and is now the No.2 seed at Portoroz. Losing to Tatiana Golovin in last year's final, the Slovenian has a good chance against Kirilenko with a 2-1 lead over the Russian.

Eighteen-year-old Caroline Wozniacki will be in with a fighting chance for the title. The No.3 seed has made heads turn recently, jumping up the rankings from No.64 at the beginning of the year to No.30, after reaching her first career Grand Slam fourth round at the Australian Open and the quarterfinals at Doha, Memphis and Eastbourne.

The remaining seeds are Anabel Medina Garrigues, Tsvetana Pironkova, Marina Erakovic, Carla Suarez Navarro and the recent 2008 Palermo winner Sara Errani.
-- Courtesy Sony Ericsson WTA Tour