UK News

Seeds stumble as Kuznetsova, Jankovic crash in Eastbourne (1st Lead)

By Bill Scott Jun 16, 2009, 16:34 GMT

Eastbourne, England - Two of the top three women's seeds crashed out in the opening round of the Eastbourne Championships Tuesday, with Svetlana Kuznetsova ambushed just days after lifting the French Open title.

Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, 23rd on the WTA, did the damage to the Russian 6-0, 6-3 in a rout on the lawns of Devonshire Parks which required only 51 minutes.

Russian Anna Chakvetadze began gaining confidence as that of third seed Jelena Jankovic was ebbing away after a 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2 first-round defeat.

Former number one Jankovic confessed that she could happily take a break from tennis immediately were it not for Monday's start of Wimbledon. The volatile Jankovic has always played on emotion, her feelings hard to hide. 'I'm missing motivation at this moment. I'll play Wimbledon and then we'll see. At least I can take a few weeks off then.

'I wish I could take a break now,' said Jankovic, who ended 2008 on the top ranking. 'I need to get to where I want to play tennis again.'

Jankovic has been dissatisfied with her form ever since gaining seven kilograms of muscle during the winter season. She is now trying to lose it after it restricted her movement and feel on the court.

Switching over to grass has not been the easiest task.

'It was my first grass match (this season) and it was tough to get the rhythm out there. I started so slow,' she said after trailing 5-1 but winning the first set against the Russian. 'I didn't feel comfortable.

'But going for the low balls, my legs got tired, in the third set, I didn't have the injury to get down low.

Chakvetadze couldn't have been happier: 'I'm pleased with every win, it's very important to me to get back my confidence,' said the one-time number five, now 31st.

Danish sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki was all smiles with her defeat of Russian Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-2. Holder Agnieszwa Radwanska, the eighth seed, beat her younger sister Ursula 6-1, 6-1 in a solid start to a title defence.

On the men's side, the top seed lasted only briefly as Canadian Frank Dancevic upset Russian Igor Andreev 7-6 (8-6), 6-2.

Number 126 Dancevic, who beat David Nalbandian last year at Wimbledon, won only his second match since August as his game suddenly lifts.

Frenchman Julien Benneteau upset Russian fifth seed Mikhail Youzhny 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to advance into the second round.

Croatian veteran Ivan Ljubicic was the first into the quarter-finals thanks to his 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Briton Joshua Goodall.