Misaki Doi and Yanina Wickmayer out of Japan Open
Tuesday 13 September 2016 12:10, UK
The top two seeds have been sent packing from the opening round of the Japan Open.
Misaki Doi, the home favourite and highest ranked player taking part in Tokyo, was beaten 7-5 6-3 by Aliaksandra Sasnovich in 91 minutes.
Doi, the world No 35, threw away a 3-1 lead in the opening set which was littered with seven service breaks.
The second was a more straightforward affair for her Belarussian opponent - ranked No 110 - who sealed victory on her first match point.
A dejected Doi said: "It's a real pity to let it slip as I don't get to play in Japan much.
"The games were all tight but I was never able to get momentum. It's really disappointing."
Meanwhile, the defending champion and No 2 seed, Yanina Wickmayer also tumbled out at the first hurdle.
The Belgian lost 6-1 7-6 (9-7) to Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic.
After losing the opening set in just 37 minutes, world No 39 Wickmayer battled back in the second to hold a brace of set points at 6-4 in tie-break.
However, her 23-year-old responded by taking five of the final six points to reach the second round.
Wickmayer struggled to cope with Golubic's variety of spin and clever use of angles on a day when wet weather forced organisers to close the centre court roof.
But there was better news for the No 4 seeded Swede Johanna Larsson who beat the 2013 Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki of German 6-3 6-2.
