Krajicek upsets third seed Pennetta in first round

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands, June 19 (Reuters) Dutch teenager Michaella Krajicek gave the home fans plenty to cheer about when she upset third seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy 7-5 6-3 in the first round of the Ordina Open today.

Krajicek, at 17 the youngest player in the 175,000 dollar women's event, broke Pennetta's serve early only to immediately give up her own service game.

The crowd favourite and younger sister of 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek recovered to take Pennetta's serve again and in the second set converted her third match point to advance into the second round.

Krajicek will next meet either the defending champion Klara Koukalova or Spanish qualifier Virginia Ruano Pascual in the Wimbledon warm-up event.

REUTERS AY PM2008