BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Russian qualifier Arina Rodionova upset top-seeded Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Aegon Classic on Tuesday.
The Estonian, who had a first-round bye, was broken once in the first set and twice in the second in her first match on grass for almost a year.
Rodionova, who had two matches in qualifying, next faces 2009 champion Magdalena Rybarikova. The 14th-seeded Slovakian beat Coco Vandeweghe of South Africa 6-2, 6-1.
Kanepi says: “I didn’t have any rhythm at all and she played very well.”
Mirjana Lucic defeated the only other seeded player to lose, saving a match point in a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (4), 7-5 victory against No. 5 Roberta Vinci of Italy.
