Seles Hobbles to Second Round Defeat
A hobbling Monica Seles was knocked out of the Australian Open this morning by Czech qualifier Klara Koukalova after twisting her ankle at the start of their second round match. The former world number one fell to a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 defeat after playing on with her left ankle heavily...
A hobbling Monica Seles was knocked out of the Australian Open this morning by Czech qualifier Klara Koukalova after twisting her ankle at the start of their second round match.
The former world number one fell to a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 defeat after playing on with her left ankle heavily strapped.
It was only the second time since Seles made her grand slam debut in 1989 that she has failed to progress past the second round in any of the four majors.
Seles was unable to run or move freely around the court after injuring herself in the third game.
Admirably, the sixth seed still managed to grab the first set tiebreaker but struggled to stay in the match as her opponent began tormenting her by repeatedly dropping the ball just over the net.
Koukalova, playing in her first grand slam event, plays American Meghann Shaughnessy in the third round after the 28th seed beat Slovakian Ludmila Cervanova 6-1, 6-1.
Clijsters romps through
Kim Clijsters took just 33 minutes to thrash Petra Mandula 6-0, 6-0 and reach the third round.
The ruthless manner of her win - the quickest of the week so far - underlines her intent to make her grand slam breakthrough Down Under.
"I'm happy with my game - I'm playing well," she said. "I feel very much at home here."
Hungarian Mandula, who last year scalped world number nine Jelena Dokic, was overwhelmed by the intensity of Clijsters' baseline aggression.
The one-sided thrashing also sent a message of intent to world number one Serena Williams, still a little off her best, as she looks to bag the only grand slam not in her possession.
Australian Open women's second round results
Klara Koukalova (Czech Republic) beat 6-Monica Seles (US) 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-3
8-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 5-7, 6-2, 6-0
19-Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) beat Jelena Jankovic (Yugoslavia) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
10-Chanda Rubin (US) beat Mary Pierce (France) 0-6, 6-4, 6-2
11-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Cho Yoon-jeong (South Korea) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
18-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Amy Frazier (US) 6-1, 6-2
4-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Petra Mandula (Hungary) 6-0, 6-0
14-Anna Pistolesi (Israel) beat Maja Matevzic (Slovenia) 5-1, (retired)
26-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) beat Alina Jidkova (Russia) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Tatiana Poutchek (Belarus) beat Cristina Torrens Valero (Spain) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
1-Serena Williams (US) beat Els Callens (Belgium) 6-4, 6-0
25-Meghann Shaughnessy (US) beat Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) 6-1, 6-1
28-Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina) beat Magui Serna (Spain) 6-3, 6-4
16-Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Daja Bedanova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-3
20-Elena Bovina (Russia) beat Rita Grande (Italy) 6-1, 6-2
Barbara Schwartz (Austria) beat Antonella Serra Zanetti (Italy) 6-1, 6-2
The former world number one fell to a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 defeat after playing on with her left ankle heavily strapped.
It was only the second time since Seles made her grand slam debut in 1989 that she has failed to progress past the second round in any of the four majors.
Seles was unable to run or move freely around the court after injuring herself in the third game.
Admirably, the sixth seed still managed to grab the first set tiebreaker but struggled to stay in the match as her opponent began tormenting her by repeatedly dropping the ball just over the net.
Koukalova, playing in her first grand slam event, plays American Meghann Shaughnessy in the third round after the 28th seed beat Slovakian Ludmila Cervanova 6-1, 6-1.
Clijsters romps through
Kim Clijsters took just 33 minutes to thrash Petra Mandula 6-0, 6-0 and reach the third round.
The ruthless manner of her win - the quickest of the week so far - underlines her intent to make her grand slam breakthrough Down Under.
"I'm happy with my game - I'm playing well," she said. "I feel very much at home here."
Hungarian Mandula, who last year scalped world number nine Jelena Dokic, was overwhelmed by the intensity of Clijsters' baseline aggression.
The one-sided thrashing also sent a message of intent to world number one Serena Williams, still a little off her best, as she looks to bag the only grand slam not in her possession.
Australian Open women's second round results
Klara Koukalova (Czech Republic) beat 6-Monica Seles (US) 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-3
8-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 5-7, 6-2, 6-0
19-Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) beat Jelena Jankovic (Yugoslavia) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
10-Chanda Rubin (US) beat Mary Pierce (France) 0-6, 6-4, 6-2
11-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Cho Yoon-jeong (South Korea) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
18-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Amy Frazier (US) 6-1, 6-2
4-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Petra Mandula (Hungary) 6-0, 6-0
14-Anna Pistolesi (Israel) beat Maja Matevzic (Slovenia) 5-1, (retired)
26-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) beat Alina Jidkova (Russia) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Tatiana Poutchek (Belarus) beat Cristina Torrens Valero (Spain) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
1-Serena Williams (US) beat Els Callens (Belgium) 6-4, 6-0
25-Meghann Shaughnessy (US) beat Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) 6-1, 6-1
28-Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina) beat Magui Serna (Spain) 6-3, 6-4
16-Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Daja Bedanova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-3
20-Elena Bovina (Russia) beat Rita Grande (Italy) 6-1, 6-2
Barbara Schwartz (Austria) beat Antonella Serra Zanetti (Italy) 6-1, 6-2
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