Tennis: Akiko Morigami scored a stunning straight sets win over Russian third seed Nadia Petrova at the French Open in Paris today. Twice a semi-finalist, she lost her serve four times in total and struggled throughout against her Japanese rival.
The Russian had won four titles in 2006, with three of those wins coming on clay. She was fancied by many experts to finally break her grand slam duck at Roland Garros.
Morigami has only been beyond the first round in Paris once before but played superbly at times as Petrova toiled.
She wrapped up a stunning 6-2 6-2 win in just 63 minutes.
In her first match at Roland Garros for five years, Martina Hingis outclassed American Lisa Raymond 6-2 6-2 today to reach the second round.
"I'm not a teenager, I'm not 19 or 18 anymore. I feel more mature as a player and as a person," said the 25-year-old who was booed by the Paris crowd for her petulant attitude while losing to Steffi Graf in the 1999 final.
"I mean, today I would probably beat the Martina back then. But who knows. Some of the things that I was doing back then, I don't have now," she said. "But I have some weapons today which I didn't have then. It's probably the brains and everything. Experience, more mature."
2004 champion Anastasia Myskina enjoyed a routine win over Sania Mirza.
The Russian, who beat Elena Dementieva in the final here in Paris two years ago, has been in poor form for some time now much showed signs against Mirza that she could be getting back to something like her best.
She was always in control against her Indian opponent, serving four aces en route to a 6-4 6-1 win in less than an hour.
In the men's competition, fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic thrashed unseeded Argentinian Carlos Berlocq in straight sets to progress to the second round.
The 26-year-old Croat, who won the Paris Masters Series last November as well as the Chennai and Zagreb tournaments this year, thrashed his opponent 6-2 6-0 6-3 in just one hour and 35 minutes.
Ljubicic, who is not a clay expert, grabbed the first two sets with ease before breaking Berlocq in the third to take a 4-3 lead.
Leading 5-3, he missed out on his first match point when his forehand landed in the net but sealed the match when Berlocq's backhand drifted wide.
Scotland's Andy Murray's injury jinx struck again to wreck his chances. He suffered a lower-back problem in the third set of his battle with French teenager Gael Monfils, losing 6-4 6-7 1-6 6-2 6-1. PA