Molik upsets Spaniard
From our wire services
13feb02
News Interactive

DOHA: Veteran Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario has been dumped out in the first round by Australia's Alicia Molik to provide the biggest shock so far at the WTA Qatar Open.

The 21-year-old Molik, still looking for her first title on the Tour, used her powerful all-round game to good effect to clinch a 6-4 6-3 victory against the third-seeded Sanchez-Vicario who has won more than $US16 million ($A31 million) on the Tour.

Molik was broken in the seventh game as Sanchez-Vicario went up 4-3, but the rising Aussie won the next three games to finish off the set in style. Molik continued with the good work in the second set when she broke Sanchez-Vicario in the second game and kept her serve to race to a 3-0 lead.

Thereafter, the games went with serve and although the world No.16 Sanchez-Vicario seemed to find her rhythm towards the final stages of the game, it was too later for her.

Meanwhile, fourth seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand made rough weather of her first round match against Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland but squeezed home 7-5 7-6 (7-4).

Tanasugarn now meets Kristie Boogert of the Netherlands, who defeated Adriana Gersi 6-2 6-2