Hantuchova eliminated at Amelia Island
Third-seeded Daniela Hantuchova was the first big player to fall at the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island. She lost to Karolina Sprem, who is playing in her first tournament in nearly a year due to elbow surgery. Sprem won the match 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 and will now face Lindsay Davenport in the third round. Davenport easily advanced, defeating fellow American Jill Craybas 6-1, 6-4. Davenport is 4-0 against Sprem, and has yet to lose a set to her in any of those previous matches.
Hantuchova wasn’t the only seeded player to lose, as #5 Patty Schnyder, #9 Sybille Bammer, and #14 Victoria Azarenka all fell.
Top-seeded Maria Sharapova will take the court today for her third round match against #15 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain. Sharapova and Davenport are still on a crash course to meet in the semifinals, which I am sure the tournament would love. Too bad they weren’t on opposite sides of the draw, because that could have been a very juicy final.
