Tennis: Unexpected incentive for qualifiers

Germany's Sabine Lisicki bundles out second seed Mirjana Lucic of Croatia in straight sets. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Eight remaining players have an added incentive to qualifying for the ASB Classic singles main draw - a relatively unmolested path to the tournament second round.

A quirk of the draw has pitted qualifiers against each other in two first-round matchups, providing an unexpected opportunity to progress deep into the tournament, earn big WTA Tour ranking points and pocket a nice pay cheque for their troubles.

Qualifying will end today when the survivors battle for the four available spots.

Top seeded Italian Alberta Brianti continued her march to the main draw with her 6-2, 6-4 victory over Russian Elena Bovina, but she is the only surviving seed among the contenders.

German Sabine Lisicki bundled out second seed Mirjana Lucic of Croatia in straight sets, while countrywoman Anna-Lena Groenefeld toppled third-seeded American Jill Craybas in a contest that swung one way, then the other, before ending 6-0, 1-6, 7-5.

Japanese Junrio Namigata and Kurumi Nara, and Frenchwoman Olivia Sanchez were also highly rated victims of the second round, but exited in widely contrasting styles. Namigata was eased out in straight sets by Briton Katie O'Brien, while Nara battled long and hard before succumbing to Thai Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in a 4-6, 7-6, 7-5 thriller. Sanchez trailed early against Argentine Florencia Molinero and had to retire during the first set with respiratory problems.