Grande in shock loss

By Chris Davies
April 29 2003

Tathiana Garbin of Italy beat fellow country woman and fifth-seeded Rita Grande, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 at the $170,000 Croatian Bol Ladies Open Grande has been playing impressive tennis on the clay and had already won the Casablanca Grand Prix in Morocco.

Asa Svensson of Sweden captured the tournament's singles title in 2002, but is not competing this year.

Garbin, who has captured just one career WTA Tour title, will now face the winner of the opening-round contest between Spain's Cristina Torrens Valero and Switzerland's Emmanuelle Gagliardi.
Switzerland's Patty Schnyder is the top seed at the event, while Italy's Silvia Farina is seeded second.

The winner of this outdoor red clay tournament will earn $27,000.