| | Associated Press
Results
MADRID, Spain -- Top-seeded Mary Pierce received a jolt in
her preparations for the French Open, losing in straight sets
Wednesday to a woman with a No. 255 ranking.
Germana di Natale of Italy, a lucky loser, eliminated the
world's No. 6 player 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the $170,000
Madrid Open.
Pierce's upset highlighted a day in which the top three seeded
women were beaten in the clay-court event.
Virginia Ruano of Spain beat No. 2 Amy Frazier of the United
States 6-2, 6-3 and Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia defeated No. 3 Ai
Sugiyama of Japan 6-2, 6-4.
Pierce replaced last year's winner, Lindsay Davenport, as the
tournament's top seeded player when the American, ranked No. 2 in
the world, pulled out at the last moment because of a back injury.
Last year's runner-up, Paola Suarez, withdrew because of a back
injury after playing two sets against Australia's Nicole Pratt in
their second-round match.
Suarez's injury was not deemed serious, but the sixth-seeded
Argentine did not want to risk further injury with the French Open
starting Monday.
However, she also had to withdraw from doubles, advancing the
Spanish team of Gala Leon Garcia and Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo
into the second round, where they will face Martina Navratilova and
Mariaan de Swardt.
Zuluaga advanced to the quarterfinals against Sweden's Asa
Carlsson, who defeated Maureen Drake of Canada 6-2, 6-0. Leon
Garcia defeated Italy's Rita Grande 6-4, 6-4. | |
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Davenport pulls out of Madrid Open
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