Marion Bartoli, top seed at the GRC Bank Guangzhou International Women’s Open and quarterfinalist at the recent US Open, retired in the first round while trailing Taiwan’s Chang Kai-Chen 4-3. The reason for the withdrawal from the $220,000 Chinese event was gastrointestinal illness.
At the other tournament going on this week, the $500,000 KDB Korea Open, No.1 seed Caroline Wozniacki cruised past Arantxa Rus 6-1 6-2. The Dane, who is playing her first tournament as a non-Top 10 player in three and a half years, has been practicing hard and is trying to focus on one match at a time.
Third seed Kaia Kanepi is also through, with a 6-1 6-0 victory over Han Sung-Hee. Kanepi is playing her first event since the French Open, having recovered from a bilateral Achilles injury. The only seed that lost in Seoul was No.5 Julia Goerges, who fell to Silvia Soler-Espinosa 1-6 7-6(5) 6-2. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)
