Linz, Austria (Sports Network) - Fifth-seeded German Julia Goerges and
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands were among Tuesday's opening-round winners
at the $220,000 Generali Ladies Linz tennis event.
Goerges knocked out Slovakian veteran Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), while
the qualifier Mattek-Sands ousted seventh-seeded Austrian crowd favorite
Tamira Paszek 6-2, 6-4 on the indoor hardcourts at Tips Arena Linz. Hantuchova
captured this event back in 2007.
Meanwhile, American qualifier Mallory Burdette straight-setted Russian lucky-
loser Ksenia Pervak 6-3, 6-4 and wild card and former top-10 German Andrea
Petkovic bested Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.
Additional first-round wins came for Swiss Romina Oprandi, Belgian qualifier
Kirsten Flipkens, Romanians Simona Halep and lucky-loser Irina-Camelia Begu,
and Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.
On Wednesday, world No. 1 star Victoria Azarenka will face Dutchwoman Arantxa
Rus and second-seeded former top-ranked Serb Ana Ivanovic will meet Romanian
Monica Niculescu. Ivanovic was the Linz champion in 2008 and 2010.
The Australian Open champion and U.S. Open runner-up Azarenka, of Belarus, is
fresh off her title last week in Beijing.
The newest Linz titlist will earn $37,000.
The Sports Network