Music: {allcanada} CANADA'S MARINO INTO SECOND ROUND AT GRASS-COURT WARMUP

Monday, June 6, 2011

{allcanada} CANADA'S MARINO INTO SECOND ROUND AT GRASS-COURT WARMUP

BIRMINGHAM, England -- Vancouver's Rebecca Marino advanced to the second round of the Aegon Classic grass-court tournament on Monday. Marino, seeded 13th defeated Melanie South of Britain 6-4, 6-1.

Former Wimbledon semifinalist Mirjana Lucic of Croatia also advanced to the second round, beating American qualifier Alexandra Stevenson 6-3, 7-6 (7).

The 29-year-old Lucic made the semis at Wimbledon in 1999 as a promising 17-year-old, but was absent from the WTA tour for much of the last decade for personal reasons.

After spending several years on the lower-tier ITF circuit, she is now back in the top 100 for the first time since 2000.

Lucic has already earned a direct entry to Wimbledon this year, and is hoping to spring a surprise at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament once again.

"I feel I am playing really well again," Lucic said. "It feels great to have made it back into the top 100 after three years playing smaller tournaments to get my ranking up. I feel it just needs one little push, or one extra little bit of luck with the draw, to do something special."

Lucic saved two set points in the second set against Stevenson, who also reached the Wimbledon semis in 1999 as a teenager, and who is similarly trying to battle her way back.

"I played well when it mattered and I was really pleased about that," said Lucic, who next plays fifth-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy.

Another former Wimbledon semifinalist, Kimiko Date-Krumm, lost 6-4, 7-6 (3) to Sabine Lisicki of Germany, while No. 14 Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia ousted Emily Webley-Smith of Britain 6-3, 6-4.

Alison Riske of the United States rallied to beat Urszula Radwanska of Poland 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.