AEGON International: British duo tumble out at Eastbourne

Published on 21/06/2012 00:00

British interest in the AEGON International at Eastbourne came to an end yesterday as local favourites Heather Watson and Laura Robson both fell to disappointing second-round defeats.

Watson put up a brave first-set fight, but was eventually found wanting by Czech seventh seed Lucie Safarova, who broke the Briton three times in the second set to score a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 success.

And Watson’s Fed Cup team-mate Robson did not fare any better against Russian Ekaterina Makarova, broken at crucial points in each set as she fell 6-4, 7-5 to the world No 48.

Also in the women’s event, fourth seed Marion Bartoli beat Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2, 6-2, and there was another win for former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 over qualifier Stephanie Dubois.

“I played extremely well,” said Bartoli. “That was probably one of the best matches I played on grass… Hopefully I will be able to keep it this way.”

Tamira Paszek beat eighth seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and there were also wins for German fifth seed Angelique Kerber, Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic.

In the men’s event, Spanish second seed Marcel Granollers tumbled out 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2) to Uzbek Denis Istomin, and fourth seed Bernard Tomic was also beaten 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, by Italy’s Fabio Fognini.

Andy Roddick, seeded sixth, defeated Jeremy Chardy of France 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), while there were also wins for third seed Andreas Seppi, seventh seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, American Ryan Harrison and Steve Darcis of Belgium. “You know, I served well. I returned pretty well. He served great on big points, but, you know, I stuck through there,” Roddick said.