Estoril Open 2007 News and Events

Lucie Safarova
© João Lagos Sports

Third-seeded Lucie Safarova avenged her 2006 US Open defeat to Aravane Rezai in the Estoril Open first round on Monday.

Czech Safarova knocked out her French opponent 7-6(5), 7-5 in one hour and 56 minutes, converting six of 12 break point opportunities.

World No. 30 Safarova has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals (l. to Vaidisova) and lost to Nadia Petrova in the Paris Indoors final this year. The 20-year-old improves to 13-5.

Fellow 20-year-old Rezai falls to 2-10 this season.

Fifth-seeded Olga Poutchkova beat Russian compatriot Anastasia Rodionova 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5) in two hours and 24 minutes. Both players won 49 per cent on serve and each converted seven break point opportunities.

Poutchkova, currently No. 37 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, has not won back-to-back matches so far this year.

She will next play Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives, who swept past Portuguese wild card Ana Catarina Nogueira 6-1, 7-6(2) in one hour and 37 minutes.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus earned a hard-fought 7-6(14), 7-5 victory over Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano in two hours and 11 minutes.

Azaranka now waits for the winner of either No. 2 seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy or Croatian Ivana Lisjak, who play first match on Centralito Tuesday.

QUALIFYING FINALIZED

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Greta Arn, Arantxa Parra Santonja and Nika Ozegovic each booked their place in the main draw, following victories in the qualifying round on Monday.