Safarova and Medina Garrigues out of Monterrey in 1st round

Klara Zakopalova defeated 6th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-5, 7-5 today in the first round of the Monterrey Open. Also going out in the first round was 8th seed Lucie Safarova, who was defeated 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 by Julie Coin. Coin hit ten aces in the match.

There was also an upset in doubles. Lourdes Dominguez Lino and Arantxa Parra Santonja defeated 3rd seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 5-7, 6-2, 10-5.

Miscellany

Dinara Safina has withdrawn from Indian Wells.

Belated birthday (it was yesterday) wishes to Jelena Jankovic, who is playing in Monterrey this week.

Zheng Jie and Chan Yung-Jan had never played doubles together until they combined to win the Malaysian Open championship. After they won the title, they said that they intend to keep playing together. Zheng played successfully for a long time with Yan Zi, and Chan played for quite some time, also successfully, with Chuang Chi-Jung.

Alisa Kleybanova, who was world number 29 before she won the Malaysian Open title, is now ranked number 26.

Kim Clijsters continues to go on and on about the horrible Barbie created "in her likeness" and--as one blogger noted--the equally horrible "baby beauty pageant contestant" little girl supposedly created in her daughter's likeness. Clijsters has mentioned that she is flattered by Mattel's latest attempt to promote body dysmorphic disorder in girls and young women.

Schnyder and Petrova enter Family Circle Cup

Two-time finalist Patty Schnyder and 2006 champion and 2009 doubles champion Nadia Petrova have entered the 2010 Family Circle Cup. Schnyder, who is a huge fan favorite in Charleston, will be making her 14th appearance at the tournament.

Schnyder had three memorable runs in Charleston. In 2002, the unseeded Swiss player defeated 6th seed Amelie Mauresmo, 3rd seed Serena Williams, Mary Pierce, and top seed and defending champion Jennifer Capriati. Schnyder and Iva Majoli made history by being the first (and only) pair of unseeded players to compete in a final at the Family Circle Cup. Majoli won the championship.

In 2004, Schnyder had straight set wins over both Elena Dementieva and Lindsay Davenport. She reached the semifinals, but was defeated by Conchita Martinez. Then, in 2006, Schnyder defeated top seed and defending champion Justine Henin in a thrilling semifinal match. Schnyder lost that final to Petrova.

Last year, Schndyer went out in the second round to a patient and very impressive Elena Vesnina. However, Schnyder and her partner, Liga Dekmeijere, reached the doubles final, in which they were defeated by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and--it all comes around here--Nadia Petrova. It was an exciting match, in which Schnyder and Dekmeijere held three match points in the super-tiebreak, only to have Mattek-Sands and Petrova save them and win the tiebreak 11-9.

The Family Circle Cup, which is played on green clay, will be held April 10-18. 2010 marks the tenth year that the historically significant tournament has been held in Charleston. Prior to 2001, it was held in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

This year's field includes Serena Williams, defending champion Sabine Lisicki, Maria Sharapova, Vera Zvonareva, Melanie Oudin, Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, Samantha Stosur, and Marion Bartoli.

Dokic out in 2nd round of Monterrey qualifying

top qualifying seed Jelena Dokic failed to make it through the second qualifying round of the Monterrey Open today. She was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by Kristina Antoniychuk. 2nd qualifying seed Shenay Perry was defeated in the first round by Marie-Eve Pelletier.

Kleybanova wins Malaysian Open

Alisa Kleybanova won the Malaysian Open today. The 4th seed, playing in her first tour final, had to withstand both a rain delay and the opposition of top seed Elena Dementieva, but she came through, 6-3, 6-2. Kleybanova had solid service stats, and also broke Dementieva four times.

Chan Yung-Jan and Zheng Jie, the 2nd seeds, won the doubles title. They defeated Anastasia and Arina Rodionova 6-7, 6-2, 10-7. The unseeded Rodionova sisters took out the top seeds, Kleybanova and Yan Zi, in the second round.

Venus defends her title in Acapulco

It wasn't exactly smooth going for Acapulco defending champion Venus Williams for much of this year's tournament. Pushed hard in the quarterfinals and the semifinals, she was pushed again--at least for a time--in the final. But Polona Hercog's serve deserted her often enough for Williams to move in and claim the title again. Her 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory gives her not only consecutive wins in Mexico, but also back-to-back consecutive wins, since she also defended her Dubai title last week.

"Never count out a Williams sister" is, as always, a good rule. Credit also, to Hercog. The world number 60 took out the 2nd seed and reached her first tour final. She and partner Barbora Zahlavova Strycova also won the doubles championship. Hercog and Zahlavova Strycova defeated clay court specialists Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 2-6, 6-1, 10-2.

Miscellany

Lagardere has signed Kristina Mladenovic as a client.

Venus Williams says she has learned to better manage her pain and has gotten rid of the "huge horrible strap." You can see a photographic retrospective of "Venus's Best Moments" here.

Klaudia Jans has successfully defended her master's thesis at the Academy of Physical Education and Sports of Gdańsk, in northern Poland. Jans wrote an analysis of the Jans/Rosolska vs. Morita/Sugiyama doubles rubber in the 2009 Fed Cup competition between Poland and Japan. Jans now has a master's degree in physical education.

Serena Williams has opened a second school in Matooni, Kenya.

James LaRosa makes a case for cheering for the player, not the country.