Wickmayer Grinds On as Kanepi Advances in Brussels

By Erik Gudris                      Photo Credit: Virginie Lefour/AFP Images

(May 22nd 2012) Several players, including Kaia Kanepi, are hoping to improve their status as a potential Roland Garros darkhorse as they continue their advance at this week's Brussels Open. Meanwhile, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's tough year continued with another loss.

Kanepi, who has won two titles this year including recently in Estoril, has been hampered by a foot injury that kept her out of Rome last week. But that didn't stop the Estonian from earning a rather routine 6-3, 6-2 win over American qualifier Irina Falconi today.

Several seeded players fell today including last year's finalist No. 7 seed Shuai Peng. Peng, who has dealt with multiple injuries throughout 2012, held leads in both the first and second sets but couldn't hang onto them as she fell to Sofia Arvidsson 7-5, 6-3.

No. 9 seed Pavlyuchenkova, who has had trouble notching victories this year, lost early again this time to Chanelle Scheepers 7-5, 6-2.

Belgium's No. 1 Yanina Wickmayer needed some home country inspiration as she fell behind 6-3, 4-3 to Russia's Anna Chakvetadze before Wickmayer rallied to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Wickmayer will now face Dominika Cibulkova in the next round and it's a matchup that she's looking forward to.

"I know Cibulkova well, we've played each other a lot and we're really good friends too," Wickmayer said. "She's playing really well at the moment, so it will be a tough match, but I'm really looking forward to it."

Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska is set to take to the courts tomorrow as she will face Lesia Tsurenko after Tsurenko knocked out Hungary's Greta Arn 6-1, 6-4.