Nugent dismisses defending champion Norfeldt

THE Ellesse Women’s Irish Open Championship entered its second day at Castleknock yesterday with Karen Nugent capturing the admiration of all during a rain interrupted day.

She may have taken three hours 10 minutes to complete her match but it was well worth it for she dismissed defending champion Helena Norfeldt of Sweden 3-6 6-4 7-5.

Nugent polished off her opponent in rare style, breaking Norfeldt’s serve in the 12th game of the final set two-love. The Swede was frustrated not only by the wet court but Nugent’s more adventurous game and she significantly double faulted on match point.

Fifth-seeded Elsa Ó Riain took on Irish qualifier Clodagh McMorrow of Tipperary. It proved a brief encounter as the Cork girl, who entered Harvard University in September, clinched victory 6-3 6-1.

A third Irish woman to advance was Yvonne Doyle, the number two and highest rank Irish woman on 352. She dismissed Michelle Summerside of Australia 6-1 6-2 in 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, top seed Amanda James went through in straight sets at the expense of Carly Homewood of Britain.

Nugent meets British girl Natalie Neri today while Ó Riain faces Austria’s Suzanne Filipp. Doyle arguably faces the toughest task of all, facing the amazing Swiss 14-year-old Timea Bacsinszky, an easy winner over Emma Murphy on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mary Pierce cruised into the second round of the Acura Classic in San Diego beating fellow Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano 6-1 6-3.

When winning the 2000 French Open, Pierce became the first Frenchwoman to win at Roland Garros since Francoise Durr in 1967.

Pierce suffered rotator cuff tendonitis and chronic inflammation in both ankles, causing her to miss most of the last two years.

Pierce meets Conchita Martinez of Spain, the 1995 champion, in the second round.

Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, 18, won a battle of teenagers against 16-year-old American Leslie Koffi, a wild card entry from nearby Carson 6-2 6-1.

Kuznetsova’s reward was to be a second-round clash with Serena Williams but the world number one pulled out through injury and has been replaced by “lucky loser” Meilen Tu of the USA.