First round exits--business as usual

Nicole Vaidisova was defeated in the first round in Paris today by Emelie Loit, 6-1, 6-4. Yesterday, Agnes Szavay was defeated 7-6, 6-2 by Li Na. There is certainly no shame in being defeated by Li, but it was Li's return to the tour, which might have given Szavay a bit of an edge. (On the other hand, Li returned last year from months off and won a tournament right away.)

I have always thought that Vaidisova was mentally fragile, like so many other talented players on the tour, and I can't say that her lack of success surprises me that much. There is a lot of pressure on a so-called phenom, anyway. Look at Tamira Paszek, for example. Oh, wait--you can't look at her--she went out in the first round in Pattaya City, defeated 6-3, 6-4 by World Team Tennis star Yaroslava Shvedova.

On a brighter note, Karolina Sprem, who fought pretty hard to become a qualifier in Paris, won her first round in straight sets against the talented Petra Kvitova.

Hantuchova out of Amelia Island

The frequently injured Karolina Sprem defeated Daniela Hantuchova today in Amelia Island

Once upon a time, Karolina Sprem looked to have a lot of promise, but she became a magnet for injuries, and her career took a sharp turn downward. At this point, one is surprised if she shows up on a draw list. She made her presence known today, however, by taking out third seed Daniela Hantuchova in Amelia Island, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Sprem is a big hitter, and she delivered nine aces in today's match.

Sprem out for at least 6 months

Karolina Sprem at the 2007 Family Circle Cup, where she was having trouble with her knee, and eventually had to retire because of her hip

Karolina Sprem, once a hot up-and-comer on the tour, has had nothing but injuries for the last few years. Her elbow has been giving her trouble for at least a year, and now she must drop out of the tour for a while. I do not know whether she is going to have surgery, but that seems like a logical step.