Estoril Open 2004 News and Events

Nueza Silva
© João Lagos Sports

Top seed Elena Bovina moved through to the second round of the Estoril Open after defeating former Roland Garros champion Iva Majoli. Bovina, the World No. 31 from Russia who reached the Estoril Open final in 2001, came through 6-4, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Spain's Marta Marrero.

"I thought I played pretty well for the first match," said Bovina, who has not played since February after suffering a stress fracture on a toe on her left foot at the Paris Indoors.

"It was important for me to start well and feel the balls and the atmosphere. It was a little bit weird at the beginning. I couldn't find my timing but I knew I had to stay focused and keep doing what I was planning to do and everything would be fine."

Bovina was always in control against Majoli, who received a wild card after slipping to No. 180 in the WTA Tour rankings, but the Russian is not thinking about the title just yet.

"This is my first clay court tournament of the year," said Bovina. "The last thing I'm thinking about is the title. Of course it would be nice to win the tournament, but I just want to play as many matches as I can and find that rhythm again."

Meanwhile, last week's Casablanca winner Emilie Loit continued her good form with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Belgian Els Calens. The No. 3 seed and World No. 40, who claimed her first career WTA Tour title in Morocco, extended her 2004 record to 16-9.

Portuguese wild card Neuza Silva delighted the local fans on court Centralito after defeating last year's runner-up Julia Schruff to reach the second round for the first time in Estoril.

Silva, who lost in the first round in 2002 and in the first round in qualifying last year, saved two match points before winning 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(8) in 2 hours, 30 minutes. Schruff, the German who again came through qualifying just as she did 12 months ago, suffered from cramps in the final set. She saved four match points in the third set tie-break and held two of her own, but eventually succumbed after her 20th double fault.