Under-dogs shine in the desert

Belgian Justine Henin has lost a gritty three set match to bow out of the BNP Paribas Open while Australian wildcard recipient Alicia Molik and British qualifier Elena Baltacha claim second-round scalps. Ben Carenco.
Henin was attempting to make it three finals appearances from three attempts after pulling herself out of retirement last year but struggled to find her rhythm against Argentine Gisela Dulko losing 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 on Friday.

Despite being unranked for the tournament at Indian Wells, the seven-time Grand Slam champion was favoured to win the match after making it to the final of the Brisbane International and Australian Open in January.
“I never really found the good rhythm. She was playing quite high balls also, and I never really found good timing,” Henin told bnpparibasopen.org after the match.

She will continue her professional tennis comeback in two week’s time at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami after being granted a wildcard to the event earlier in the year.

Fellow BNP Paribas Open wildcard recipient Alicia Molik of Australia fared better in her second round match as she upset the more fancied No. 29 seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain.

The Australian had shaved more than 200 places off of her ranking since her comeback to the main stage of tennis started in January this year and showed her class under pressure to win a tight three -set affair 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3).

Unlike her inglorious exit at Australian Open 2010, losing to Frenchwoman Julie Coin after dominating their opening round match, Molik managed to stay calm under pressure and win a third set tie-breaker to advance to the third round.

Her opponent in that match will be British qualifier Elena Baltacha who capped off a perfect day for the under-dogs as she fought past Australian Open semi-finalist and world No. 10 Li Na of China 7-6(8), 2-6, 7-6(7)

“As the tiebreak started, she just came out with unbelievable stuff," Baltacha told AFP.
"I think she hit four backhand winners down the line. And I thought, 'OK, yeah, that's why you're top 10. I understand,” she said.
"But then at 5-1, I went into the zone and I felt really strong and I just fought my heart out.”

The top ten scalp comes as good news for British tennis as their Davis Cup team were humiliated in their European/African zone tie against Lithuania last weekend.

American Vania King lost in three sets to second-seed Caroline Wozniack while Russian Vera Dushevina almost caused an upset against countrywoman Maria Sharapova in what would have been one crazy day in the desert had they both prevailed.

Singles - Second Round
(2) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Vania King (USA) 57 62 64
(4) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 64 46 60
(5) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 62 53 ret. (left ankle injury)
(Q) Elena Baltacha (GBR) d. (7) Li Na (CHN) 76(6) 26 76(7)
(10) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Vera Dushevina (RUS) 46 75 62
(11) Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Polona Hercog (SLO) 64 62
(15) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 63 64
(16) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Patty Schnyder (SUI) 63 57 64
(18) Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 63 75
(19) Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. (LL) Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 64 75
Peng Shuai (CHN) d. (20) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 61 64
Jill Craybas (USA) d. (22) Sabine Lisicki (GER) 46 75 20 ret. (left ankle injury)
(WC) Alicia Molik (AUS) d. (29) Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 64 57 76(3)
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) d. (30) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 61 62
(31) Gisela Dulko (ARG) d. (WC) Justine Henin (BEL) 62 16 64
(32) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 75 63

Ben Carenco