French tennis player Tatiana Golovin and Japan's Shinobu Asagoe have advanced to the third round of the DFS Classic grass court tennis tournament in Birmingham, England.
Golovin, the fifth seed, defeated qualifier Nathalie Grandin of South Africa in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5. Asagoe, the sixth-seeded player, ousted American Meilen Tu in three sets (6-1, 4-6, 6-1).
Golovin plays Japan's Rika Fujiwara, a straight-set winner over Venezuelan Maria Vento-Kabchi (6-2, 6-2). Asagoe takes on Anna Chakvetadze of Russia.
In other matches, second seed Alicia Molik of Australia lost in straight sets to American Laura Granville (6-4, 6-2). Granville plays countrywoman Jamea Jackson, who ousted 15th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia (6-2, 6-3).
Greek player Eleni Daniilidou beat 10th seed Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic (6-4, 6-2). Daniilidou faces eighth-seeded Japanese player Ai Sugiyama, a straight-set winner over Australian Nicole Pratt (7-5, 6-4).
American Mashona Washington defeated 11th-seeded Virginie Razzano of France in three sets (6-4, 3-6, 6-1). Washington takes on Arantxa Parra-Santonja of Spain, who beat seventh-seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia (6-4, 6-7, 7-6).
Also Wednesday, French player Stephanie Foretz defeated Japan's Akiko Morigami (7-5, 6-3). Foretz plays Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn who ousted ninth-seed Marion Bartoli of France (6-3, 6-0).
Milagros Sequera of Venezuela beat Britain's Elena Baltacha (6-4, 6-2). Sequera plays third seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro in the third round.
The tournament is one of several grass court events that players are using to prepare for the third major tournament of the year, Wimbledon, which starts June 20th in London.
Some information for this report provided by AP.
