Tennis

Henin and Mauresmo enjoy fine Eastbourne start

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-21 08:19

Justine Henin began the defence of her Eastbourne International title in fine style on Wednesday, beating Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-1.

Eleven days after winning her fourth French Open title on clay, the world number one sailed through her first grasscourt match of the season, impressing the Devonshire Park crowd with her volleying skills.

The Belgian top seed now plays Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova, who swatted aside British qualifier Elena Baltacha 6-3 6-2 on a calm day at the normally windy seaside resort.

Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo joined Henin in the third round, looking equally at home on her favourite surface after just a few days' practice in the British Embassy grounds in Paris.

The world number four, who last year lost in her first match here before going on to win Wimbledon, beat Italian Mara Santangelo 6-2 6-3 in 61 minutes.

Henin, who next week will set out to succeed Mauresmo at Wimbledon -- the one grand slam title to elude her -- needed just one break, in the third game, to take the first set against 18-year-old Eastbourne debutante Radwanska.

After getting a break at the start of the second set, Henin raced to a 5-1 lead and went 15-40 up. She wasted one match point by putting a backhand long but hit a winning backhand volley on the second.

"The first match on grass is not easy," said Henin, adding that her aim was to get to the net even more.

"When I am at the net I am okay, it is just (I need) to go to the net and make the effort and be brave enough. But it starts to get much more natural."

CONFIDENT MAURESMO

Mauresmo, who served superbly and finished her match with the flourish of an ace in a love game, was visibly delighted to be back on grass after losing in the third round at the French Open at the start of the month.

"I feel confident in this kind of match," the French second seed told a news conference. "I think it is the fact that really I know perfectly how to play on grass and it gives you a lot of confidence."

Mauresmo will now face Israeli sixth seed Shahar Peer, who beat Japanese qualifier Aiko Nakamura 6-3 6-2.

Fifth seed Vaidisova is one of the grunt-and-bash brigade, staying firmly at the baseline throughout the match and hitting the ball with tremendous force and accuracy.

The tactic served her well against Baltacha, ranked 412 in the world and only recently returned from back surgery, who was rarely able to collect a point on the Czech's serve.

Austrian ninth seed Sybille Bammer had a much tougher time, needing three sets to beat Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova 7-6 5-7 6-3. She will now play Russian third seed Nadia Petrova, who beat France's Nathalie Dechy 7-5 7-5.

After Baltacha's exit, local hopes ended with Katie O'Brien losing 6-3 6-4 to fourth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva in a baseline slugging match and wild card Melanie South being knocked out by French number eight seed Marion Bartoli 6-1 6-3.