PATTAYA, Thailand -- Tamarine Tanasugarn lost before her home fans Monday, beaten 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 by Russia's Evgenia Linetskaya in the first round of the Volvo Women's Open, a WTA tournament that will mark the comeback of Martina Hingis.
Tamarine, a 2003 semifinalist, squandered a 5-1 lead in the second set.
Hingis is to play her first WTA match in more than two years Tuesday against Marlene Weingartner of Germany. The former No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion last appeared on the circuit in October 2002 at Filderstadt, Germany, where she lost to Elena Dementieva. Hingis has been recuperating from a severe ankle injury.
Also Monday, fifth-seeded Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico was eliminated, losing to Mara Santangelo of Italy 6-1, 6-2.
Second-seeded Marion Bartoli of France defeated Indonesian wild card Ayu Fanti Damayanti 6-3, 6-1, and seventh-seeded Anna Lena Groenefeld of Germany topped Jennifer Hopkins of the United States 6-3, 6-2. Magui Serna of Spain beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 7-5, 7-5.
