Tamarine shows feet of clay in opening round
[TENNIS] Tamarine Tanasugarn's vulnerability on clay continues to haunt her as she lost to tennis mom Sybille Bammer of Austria in the first round of the US$600,000 Bausch and Lomb at the Amelia Island in Florida on Monday.
Tamarine, who dominated their previous encounter in the Bangkok Open last October, failed to tackle her left-handed opponent on the green surface and lost 3-6 1-6. It is four years since the former world No 19 has won a match on clay. The last time she won on clay was against American Shenay Perry in the first round in Sarasota in 2003. The 29th-seeded Bammer, who has a five-year-old daughter, Tina, was demolished 6-0 6-2 by Tamarine in the quarter-finals of the Bangkok Open last year. But she came back strongly and lifted her first trophy, the Pattaya Women's Open, this February. Meanwhile, former SEA Games gold medallist Suchanan Viratpra-sert withdrew from the national Fed Cup team, citing lack of readiness. Suchanan has been below par since the start of the season, losing both the matches she played in Australia. Suchanan will be replaced by rising star Nunnudda Wannasuk. Other team members are Tamarine Tanasugarn, Napaporn Tongsalee and Montinee Tangphong. Thailand will play the Zone Asia/Oceania Qualifying Group I tie in Christchurch, New Zealand from April 18-21.
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