Mattek-Sands exits Miami
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Key Biscayne, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - American Bethanie Mattek-Sands was sent packing on Day 1 at the $5.4 million Sony Open tennis event.
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina outlasted the 29-year-old Minnesota native in 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 fashion on the hardcourts at Crandon Park.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova handled Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva 6-2, 7-5, promising Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia topped Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3, 7-5, and Kazakhstanian Yaroslava Shvedova dismissed fading former French Open titlist Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-2. Shvedova should have her hands full with reigning Miami champ Serena Williams in the round of 64.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Also advancing Tuesday were Aussie Casey Dellacqua, Swiss Romina Oprandi and Japan's Kurumi Nara, who is rewarded with a second-round match against last year's Miami runner-up, Maria Sharapova. Oprandi's next opponent will be 2012 Miami champ and last week's Indian Wells runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska.
The top seeds at this two-week tournament are the six-time champion and two- time runner-up Williams, Li Na, Radwanska, and the five-time runner-up Sharapova, who lost to Williams in last year's marquee finale and has lost in the last three Miami finals.
The 2014 winner of this lucrative event will collect $787,000.