Story highlights
Jelena Jankovic crashes out of Kremlin Cup in the first round
The Serb was defeated 6-4 1-6 6-4 by Russia Ekaterina Ivanova
Agnieszka Radwanska will come up against Lucie Safarova in round two
Poland's Radwanska will secure her place at WTA Tour finals with victory
Former world number one Jelena Jankovic crashed out of the Kremlin Cup on Tuesday after suffering a 6-4 1-6 6-4 first round defeat to qualifier Ekaterina Ivanova.
Serbia’s Jankovic, who became the country’s first grand slam champion when she won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007, won more points in the match than her Russian opponent, but slipped to a shock loss.
“Ekaterina was coming from qualies and had a few matches under her belt, and she played very well. I felt asleep and in slow motion,” world number 13 Jankovic told the WTA’s official website.
“It just wasn’t my day. I look forward to resting and coming back strong in 2012.”
Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska will need to beat Lucie Safarova to secure her place at the season-ending WTA Tour Finals in Istanbul later this month, after the Czech battled back to earn a 6-7 (9-7) 6-4 6-3 triumph against Spain’s Arantxa Parra Santonja.
If second seed Radwanska fails to win, France’s Marion Bartoli can secure the eighth and final spot in the Turkish capital with a tournament victory in Moscow.
Sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova secured a 6-3 6-3 success over French qualifier Alize Cornet and will now face Tsvetana Pironkova in round two, after the Bulgarian’s first round opponent Petra Martic retired in the second set of their match.
Other winners on day two were Russia’s Ksenia Pervak, who eliminated Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva, and Klara Zakopalova, with the Czech cruising to a straight-sets win over qualifier Olga Savchuk.
In the men’s draw, fifth seed Alex Bogomolov Jr. fought from one-set down to seal a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Serb Dusan Lajovic.
The American world No. 37 faces Alex Kukushkin in the second round, the Kazakh who eliminated Czech Lukas Rosol 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.
Russia’s Dimitry Tursunov claimed a victory in his home town with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Spaniard Albert Ramos.
Luxembourg’s seventh seed Gilles Muller also advanced, hitting 19 aces on his way to a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 defeat of qualifier Konstantin Kravchuk.
