Upset as Peers defeats Kleybanova in Brisbane

Wild card Sally Peers caused an upset in the first match of the 2011 season as the Australian defeated seventh seeded Russian Alisa Kleybanova 3-6 6-4 6-3 in the first round of the Brisbane International at the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Peers, ranked 154 in the world, recovered from a set and a break down to defeat her 25th-ranked opponent.

Also in the first round, Serbian Bojana Jovanovski beat Australian Anastasia Rodionova 2-6 6-2 6-3.

Another naturalised Australian, world number 42 Jarmila Groth, reached the second round with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Spaniard Arantxa Parra Santonja.

Number five seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 and Czech world number 30 Lucie Safarova beat Uzbek Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3 3-6 6-2.

In the men’s first round sixth seed Feliciano Lopez, of Spain, beat Germany’s Philipp Petzschner 6-4 7-6 (11/9).

Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin was a winner over Thiemo de Bakker, of the Netherlands, by a 7-6 (7/5) 6-4 score.