Tennis: Pennetta dumps Pe'er out in first round of Hobart International

Israeli, who falls to number 40 in the world, beaten 2-6, 6-7 (5) by the top seed.

By ALLON SINAI
peer takes shot 248.88 (photo credit: AP)
peer takes shot 248.88
(photo credit: AP)
Shahar Pe'er will have plenty of time to prepare for next week's Australian Open after being knocked out in the first round of the Hobart International tournament in Australia on Monday. The Israeli, who fell to number 40 in the world, was beaten 2-6, 6-7 (5) by top-seeded Flavia Pennetta (13 in the world) and will work on her game in the coming week with the hope of at least emulating last year's achievement in Melbourne when she reached the third round of the year's first Grand Slam tournament. Elsewhere in the first round Monday, Poland's Urszula Radwanska continued her recent strong form against higher-ranked players, beating sixth-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Radwanska, 18, and ranked 126, beat world No. 30 Francesca Schiavone in qualifying. Schiavone would have been the Hobart tournament's fourth or fifth seed, but an administration error forced the Italian player into the qualifying rounds. Radwanska is the younger sister of world No. 10 Agnieszka Radwanska. Two other seeded players lost Monday, Anne Keothavong of Britain beat fifth-seeded Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-3, 7-5 and Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain defeated third-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-5. AP contributed to this report.