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The Sports Network
Paris, France (Sports Network) - French Open champion Li Na retired from her
first-round match Tuesday at the Open GDF Suez, while fourth-seeded Jelena
Jankovic withdrew from the tournament, citing a left thigh strain.
Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova was beating the third-seeded Li 7-6 (7-5), 3-2
when the Chinese star quit due to a sore back.
The former world No. 1 and former U.S. Open runner-up Jankovic, of Serbia, was
also forced to pull out of her Fed Cup match Sunday in Belgium because of the
leg injury.
Sixth-seeded German Julia Goerges moved on with a 6-1, 6-3 handling of Israeli
Shahar Peer.
Additional opening-round wins in Paris came for Czech Petra Cetkovska and
Germans Angelique Kerber and qualifier Mona Barthel, who captured her first-
ever WTA title in Hobart last month. Barthel bested Czech Barbora Zahlavova
Strycova 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday.
The top seeds in Paris are Australian Open runner-up Maria Sharapova and
former Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli.
The winner of this $637,000 event will pocket $107,000.
The Sports Network