Top-seed Cristelle Grier from Surrey was pushed to the brink by unseeded Swede Jenny Lindstrom when the opening shots were traded in the ITF Women's Irish Open Tennis championships at the Glasnevin Club yesterday.

"I wasn't expecting to be at number one but got there because of a withdrawal," said Grier after she had just survived a three-hour examination by the doughty Swede. In the final set, Grier slumped to a 1-4 deficit and after recovering had then to face a match-point in the tie-break. A dubious line call for Lindstrom in the tie-breaker helped to wave Grier through.

The 18-year-old Surrey girl, who has played at junior Wimbledon for the past two seasons, also benefited from her opponent's over emphasis on disguising her shots.

Ireland's Yvonne Doyle found cruising speed early in her match with Bree Calderwood of Australia and closed it down 6-2 6-2. "My returns were working well for me," said Doyle, the number three seed.

Doyle started a procession of Irish winners with Elsa O'Riain Karen Nugent and Claire Curran all getting through. Cork girl O'Riain has finally been able to put the books away and is clearly returning to her best form. Rachel Halligan, a good competitor, needed a little more power and subtlety to stand a better chance of unsettling the Cork prospect.

After sending a rather one-dimensional British player in Kelly Simkin packing, 6-4 6-2 Karen Nugent said: "It's great to be playing at home again. For me it's an important factor."

On the evidence of the opening day's play, however, the player to beat is among those furthest away from home, Boston's Teryn Ashley, the number two seed. She has the serve and flair out of both courts to succeed.

"My target at this point is to get into the top 50 in the world," said Ashley. She may be asked to up her game against an in form Curran in today's second round.

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