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    LUXEMBOURG -- Eighth seed Mary Pierce has been sent packing in the first round of the Luxembourg Championship -- beaten 6-3 6-3 by Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine. Pierce, in just her fifth event of an injury-hit year, was outplayed by the 22-year-old, who will now face Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia or Italian Elena Camerin. The ex-French and Australian Open champion has won just eight matches in 2006. Last year's beaten finalist Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany also suffered an upset defeat as she was hammered 6-0 6-4 by Italian qualifier Karin Knapp. The 19-year-old Knapp, ranked 135, has spent most of the year playing lower level events on the Tour but after progressing through qualifying, made mincemeat of seventh seed Groenefeld. Italian fifth seed Francesca Schiavone had no such problems, easily disposing of Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands, 6-4 6-3. Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy battled past Sybille Bammer of Austria 6-1 3-6 6-3 while American wildcard Chanda Rubin, making a rare appearance, beat German Martina Mueller 6-3 6-0. On Wednesday, former world number one Venus Williams is due to play her first match since Wimbledon when she takes on sixth seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in the first round. The American was forced to miss the U.S. Open because of a wrist injury. Top seed Elena Dementieva opens her title bid with a second-round clash against Australian Samantha Stosur. |
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Pierce has won just eight matches during an injury-plagued 2006.
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