Kuznetsova out, Stosur through

Kuznetsova, the 2007 and 2008 finalist, failed to overcome young Spanish sensation Carla Suarez Navarro in her second-round opening match losing in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

It is the second early exit in a row for the Russian who lost to Urszula Radwanska of Poland in her first match at the tournament last year.

“It's frustrating, because I know I have the game. I feel great. I do practice, play unbelievable, and then get to the match and I don't do much,” a puzzled Kuznetsova told bnpparibas.org after the match.

For Suarez Navarro it was a continuation of some great tennis she demonstrated at Acapulco where she was a semi-finalist, succumbing to eventual runner-up Polona Hercog of Slovenia. In the third round the Spaniard will meet Agnes Svavay of Hungary, who beat qualifier Yung-Jan Chan of Chinese Taipei in the second round.

For Samantha Stosur, Australia’s top ranked woman, it was a slightly different story. The No. 8 seed, facing Julie Coin of France, won 92 per cent of her first serves in the first set winning it in just over 30 minutes 6-1.

The Frenchwoman staged a comeback in the second set and fought hard but could not gain the ascendancy in the second set to stay alive. Stosur won the hour-long set in a tie-break 7-6(4).

The Australian faces an inform world No. 25 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia who easily accounted for qualifier Karolina Sprem of Croatia 6-3, 6-1 in her second round match. Stosur won their one and only previous match in three very tough sets at Birmingham in 2008.

Ben Carenco