Second-seed Amelie Mauresmo and defending champion Nadia Petrova were the big name casualties from Berlin's WTA tournament on Friday.
BERLIN: Second-seed Amelie Mauresmo and defending champion Nadia Petrova were the big name casualties from Berlin's WTA tournament on Friday.
World number-three Mauresmo was playing her first tournament following a two month lay-off after an appendicitis operation and despite winning Thursday's first set, Mauresmo struggled when the match resumed, losing 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 to Julia Vakulenko, ranked 53rd in the world.
"It can happen when you have not played for a while," said Mauresmo, who will play in Rome's WTA tournament next week.
"I feel fine, I just wasn't able to play the way I wanted to. It was frustrating.
"I wanted to keep playing the way I did last night, but what can you do?
"We have no control over the weather. I just need to keep practising and playing as many matches as I can.
"I wanted as many games as possible this week, but I only managed one game in five days, because of the weather.
"I will definitely be going to Rome, I need the matches and as many hours as I can on the court.
"I was late on every shot and she deserved the win. Coming here, I didn't know what shape I was in, so at least I know now what needs to be done."
Mauresmo was the second big name to crash out at the third round stage after Martina Hingis went down to Swiss compatriot Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-0 on Thursday and promptly withdrew from Rome with a back injury.
Defending champion Petrova was the second surprise exit on Friday when she was beaten by third-seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals after a tight struggle in the first set.
Having lost the tie-break 7-5, Petrova never recovered and ear-marked Kutznetsova, who faces either Jelena Jankovic or world number one Justine Henin in the semi-final, as a possible tournament winner.
"She is the hardest hitter and the best mover on the tour," said Petrova, "and if she plays like that, she is capable of winning it.
"For me, it was disappointing to lose, but not the end of the world."
But there were no problems for world number one Justine Henin who managed to beat the weather and her Italian opponent to book her place in the quarter-finals on Friday.
The 24-year-old was always comfortable in her third-round match, carving out a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Maria Elena Camerin, ranked 75th in the world, and meets Serbian fifth-seed Jankovic in Friday's scheduled quarter-final.
Heavy rain meant there was a lengthy delay between the first and second sets, but Henin, fresh from her win in Warsaw on Monday, looked comfortable at the Steffi Graf Stadion where she has won three times.
Organisers hope the rain clouds will stay away and allow them to finish all four quarter-finals on Friday, with the semi-finals scheduled for Saturday and the final on Sunday.
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