Published on May 05, 2005

[TENNIS] Fifth-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn failed to break her two-year jinx on clay as she crashed out in the first round of the US$140,000 Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Rabat, Morocco, on Tuesday.

Playing her first tournament of the season on the slow surface, Tamarine, ranked No 68 on the WTA tour, took only three games from the 202nd-ranked qualifier Olga Savchuk of Ukraine before losing in two sets 0-6 3-6.

She has been winless on clay, her worst surface, since last year where she lost all her four matches. The last time Tamarine survived a first-round match on clay was in March two years ago when she beat American Shenay Perry in Sarasota, Florida.

The upset defeat to Savchuk has worsened her record on clay to 9-32 dating back to 1993. She also lost the doubles first round. The fourth-seeded Tamarine and Lubomira Kurhajcova of Slovakia were stunned by Daniela and Sandra Klemenschits of Austria 6-7 (5-7) 3-6.

The Thai will play two more events before the French Open. Next week she is committed to play a tournament in Prague and will then play in Strasbourg, the final tune-up for Roland Garros.

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