Agnieszka Radwanska crashed out of the Kremlin Cup in the first round, losing in straight sets to Maria Kirilenko.
Third seed suffers first-round exit to end Doha hopes
Agnieszka Radwanska crashed out of the Kremlin Cup in the first round, losing in straight sets to Maria Kirilenko.
The 6-3 6-3 loss to her former doubles partner means the world number 10 is no longer in contention for the season-ending tournament in Doha.
The third seed now has no change of pipping Vera Zvonareva or Jelena Jankovic to the last remaining spot for the end of year competition.
"It was a tough match today, I was feeling a bit tired and exhausted," said Radwanska.
"I was trying because I was still in with a chance for Doha, but the surface is so slow here, you need to run a lot to win the point. Maybe if it was a faster surface, like grass, it would have been better for me, but it wasn't my day today."
Thrilled
Russian Kirilenko, who also beat Radwankska in the second round of this year's US Open, had lost her four previous first-round appearances in her hometown Moscow and was naturally thrilled with her win.
"To beat a seeded player in your first match is a great way to start a tournament. I've played her three times now and I won twice so I knew what to expect from her," said Kirilenko, who is ranked number 61 in the world.
"I actually like to play her because she is not very aggressive and I always have enough time to hit winners."
Italy's fourth seed Flavia Pennetta was also an early loser in the Russian capital after she was forced to retire with a knee injury during first-round match against Hungarian Agnes Szavay.
Russian Elena Vesnina, seeded sixth, was upset by her 127th-ranked compatriot Evgeniya Rodina 6-1 3-6 6-2.
