BRISBANE, Australia -- This week's top seeds, Samantha Stosur of Australia and Shahar Peer of Israel, were a pair of second-round upset victims Tuesday at the season-opening Brisbane International tennis event.
The 2010 French Open runner-up Stosur succumbed to fellow Aussie Jarmila Groth 6-2, 6-4, while Peer won the first set before falling at the hands of tough Czech Lucie Safarova 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 on the hardcourts at Queensland Tennis Centre. Groth drilled nine aces at Stosur and broke her compatriot on four occasions, while Safarova saved a match point in the final set before dismissing Peer.
Fifth-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova avoided an upset by getting past Serb and fellow teenager Bojana Jovanovski 6-2, 7-5 on Day 3 at this Australian Open tuneup. Pavlyuchenkova will meet Safarova in the quarterfinals here.
The first round wrapped up on Tuesday when Italian Roberta Vinci topped American lucky-loser Christina McHale 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).
This week's winner will earn $37,000.
