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Azarenka, Bartoli Cruise At Brisbane; Kirilenko Withdraws
posted 01/04/09
3:33 pm
Seventh-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko, meanwhile, withdrew from the tournament due to an illness. Japan's Ai Sugiyama, the next highest ranked player not to be seeded, took Kirilenko's position in the draw and will face Sam Stosur on Monday.
Azarenka, the No. 2 seed, dominated Kateryna Bondarenko of the Ukraine, 6-0, 6-2, and third-seeded Bartoli cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over wild card Monika Wejnert on the hardcourts at Queensland Tennis Center.
The biggest upset of the day saw Estonian Kaia Kanepi get upended by Russia's Alisa Kleybanova in a 6-1, 6-4 decision.
In other first-round action on the season's first day, Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova outlasted Monica Niculescu of Romania, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-4, while Slovakia's Jarmila Gajdosova pulled out a 6-4, 6-2 win over Shuai Peng of China.
Chinese Na Li defeated Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in last year's finale.
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