Chakvetadze top seed in Paris
February 5, 2008
Anna Chakvetadze headlines the field for this week's WTA Open Gaz de France, which started on Monday.
The top four seeds receive first-round byes at this hardcourt event.
There were only a pair of unseeded matches taking place on Monday.
Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia defeated local favourite Emilie Loit 6-2 6-4 in the day's first match, and Eleni Daniilidou of Greece followed with a 2-6 6-2 7-5 triumph over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Srebotnik will meet second-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova in the second round. Hantuchova enters this event fresh off a semi-final appearance at the Australian Open.
The top seed is Chakvetadze, a quarter-finalist here last year.
The 20-year-old Russian, who won four tournaments last year, is off to a slow start in 2008, failing to make it past the third round in her first two events.
The French hopes may rest with third-seeded Marion Bartoli and two-time champion Amelie Mauresmo, who is seeded eighth.
Mauresmo, who has a first-round match on Tuesday with Julie Ditty, will meet Daniilidou if she can defeat the American qualifier.
Seeded fourth is Russian Elena Dementieva, who is making her seventh appearance at the event. Her best showing was a semi-final appearance in 2003.
A possible quarter-final opponent for Dementieva is countrywoman Nadia Petrova, the defending champion and fifth seed.
Last year, Petrova defeated Lucie Safarova in the final.