2009 AEGON International 

Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, England | 13-20 June

2009 NEWS | 2009 FEATURES | 2009 RESULTS | 2009 ROUND-UP

Wednesday results

2009 AEGON International | 17 June

M. Bartoli defeated A. Chakvetadze || 7-5, 6-3                             
E. Makarova d. A. Mauresmo || 7-6, 7-6                           
V. Dushevina  d. N. Petrova || 5-7, 1-0, retired                             
A. Medina Garrigues d. S Bammer || 7-5, 6-1                              
A. Wozniak d. J. Zheng || 7-6, 6-3                             
C. Wozniacki d. S. Stosur || 6-1, 5-7, 6-1                           
A.Radwanska d. N. Li || 3-1, retired                          
V. Razzano d. E. Dementieva || 6-0,  3-6, 7-6

Wednesday news

2009 AEGON International | 17 June

Controversy was served up throughout the day in the strong women's draw that overshadowed the ailing British interest in the incredibly weak men's draw, with Amelie Mauresmo, Nadia Petrova and Anna Chakvetadze (pictured below) all showing rare glimpses of feeling the pressure.

chakvetadze didn't shake hands with bartoliThe scheduling of the matches caused hundreds of disgruntled Centre Court ticket holders to move across to no1 Court and no2 Court for the attractive contests involving Mauresmo and Bartoli respectively - both grass court experts and crowd favourites at Devonshire Park.

The complaints about putting two British players on Centre Court, back-to-back, upset paying fans who had forked out hard-earned cash for a prime spot only to be greeted by Alex Bogdanovic followed by James Ward.

So the crowds arrived at the outside courts quicker than a Andy Roddick thunderbolt serve in order to grab a decent viewing point. And the press - journalists and photographers - were also part of the mass exodus that left Eurosport's TV cameras showing very few spectators on Centre Court

Mauresmo made a slow start against Ekaterina Makarova, bounced back to force a tiebreak but gifted the Russian qualifier the opening set. With the ex-Eastbourne and former Wimbledon champion playing safety shots and sliced forehands, she was furious to concede a game at the turnaround to lead 4-1.

french ace mauresmo lost her ragSix games later and Mauresmo (pictured) lost her rag and thumped a tennis ball high out of Devonshire Park into the adjoining Blackwater Road - duly given a code violation warning before bowing out on another epic tiebreak 13-11.

“I don’t have any explanations!" fumed Mauresmo, " I took chances and it didn’t work. The main thing is to forget about this match and just look forward to Wimbledon."

And Marion Bartoli's opponent Anna Chakvetadze refused to shake hands at the end of their 7-5 6-3 tie that lasted just under two hours. This was because the Russian strongly objected to the ex-Wimbledon semi-finalist calling her coach/trainer in order to delay the inevitable defeat.

Bartoli explained: “I played some really great points at tough times but grass is definitely my best surface. The match was really tough physically and mentally, but I think physically - at the end - I was a little bit better than her!” 

French ace Bartoli smiled: “The faster the court the better I play, and I’m a lot fitter than last year. If I can believe in myself I can go far.”

russian ace petrova smashed her racquetAnd Petrova (pictured) smashed one of her racquets in frustration seconds after withdrawing for the second time in three years at Devonshire Park. The Gdansk-based Russian took a 7-5 lead and conceded the opening game in the second set against compatriot Vera Dushevina but was unable to continue against the qualifier because of a lower back strain. 

Another retirement saw defending champion Agneizska Radwanska gifted a quarter-final spot after China's Na Li threw in the towel because of a niggling injury. Last week's runner-up at the grass courts in Birmingham trailed 3-1 to the Polish ace who has managed to avoid a quarter-final clash with Elena Dementieva.

Top seed Dementieva made a most appalling start on Centre Court to lose 6-0 in the opening set to ever improving French star Virginie Razzano. But the Russian bounced back to level matters only to wilt in the third set tiebreak for a 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 reversal.

Teenager Caroline Wozniacki, long tipped by ex-players as a future Wimbledon champion, showed exactly why she is highly respected within the game by turning over Sam Stosur 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 in a closer Centre Court battle than the result suggested.

navratilova spoke to eastbournetennis.comMartina Navratilova (pictured), the 11-time Eastbourne champion, told eastbournetennis.com that the Danish 18-year-old has "an outside chance to win Wimbledon this year". 

And with free text alert information reaching fans within Devonshire Park about Navratilova's wise words, Centre Court got busier and busier to see the immensely talented Wozniacki.

Stosur, who reached the last four at Eastbourne 2008, was bewildered by the defeat but said: "Caroline is a great player, it showed up some things that I need to improve going into Wimbledon. I didn’t get a good start at all, started rushing things and trying to finish points much too soon."

The Australian added: “In the second set at 6-5 I took my chance, stepped it up and started going for it like I should have done in the first set. Then in the third I reverted back to my old ways. "

Anabel Medina Garrigues' 6-1, 7-5 win over Eastbourne regular Sybille Bammer of Austria completed the quarter-final line-up.