Tennis-Mauresmo, Bartoli knocked out in Moscow

MOSCOW, Oct 10 (Reuters) Russia's Vera Zvonareva recorded her first career win over Amelie Mauresmo when she came from behind to beat the sixth-seeded Frenchwoman 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the Kremlin Cup first round today.

After battling for over two hours, the unseeded Russian scored a decisive break in the ninth game of the third set before clinching the win on her first opportunity when the 11th-ranked Mauresmo hit a wild backhand on match point.

Zvonareva had lost her previous seven meetings with the former world number one.

''Finally I was able to beat her, it feels great,'' the 24th-ranked Muscovite told reporters.

Zvonareva's reward for beating the former Wimbledon champion is the second-round tie against rising Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Russia's Maria Kirilenko in the first round.

Mauresmo's compatriot, fifth seed and Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli, was also sent home by unseeded Russian Vera Dushevina 2-6 6-0 6-4.

On a day of upsets, seventh seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland was also knocked out by another unseeded Russian Elena Dementieva 6-3 6-4.

In the quarter-finals, Dushevina will face either compatriot and top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova or Argentina's Gisela Dulko, while Dementieva meets the winner of the second-round tie between Russia's second seed Maria Sharapova or Belarussian teenager Victoria Azarenka.

In the men's draw, fourth seed Paul-Henri Mathieu of France, who won his first career title in Moscow five years ago, became the first player into the last eight with a straightforward 6-3 6-4 win over Russian wildcard Igor Kunitsyn.

Eighth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany joined Mathieu after outlasting Croatian qualifier Marin Cilic 7-6 1-6 6-4.

Russia's second seed Mikhail Youzhny also advanced, seeing off Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis 6-3 6-2 in the first round.

Britain's third seed Andy Murray will make his Moscow debut by taking on Russian teenager Evgeny Korolev later on Wednesday.

Reuters BJR RS1845