Ana Ivanovic's Toronto Cup title defense came to an abrupt end with a 6-3 6-1 second- round loss to qualifier Yan Zi of China on Wednesday.

 

 

China's Yan Zi returns a shot against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic during their match at the Rogers Cup tennis tournament in Toronto, August 15, 2007.

 

The fourth-seeded Serb was joined at the exit door by Russian fifth and eighth seeds Anna Chakvetadze and Elena Dementieva and Czech No. 16 Lucie Safarova.

 

World number one Justine Henin will try to avoid joining the exodus when she returns to action later on Wednesday for her first match since her semi-final loss at Wimbledon.

 

Fresh from collecting her second title of the season in Los Angeles on Sunday, Ivanovic was unable to carry the momentum to Canada, the 169th-ranked Yan disposing of the world number four in just 65 minutes to record the biggest victory of her career.

 

"She (Ivanovic) is a top player, I think today I was very lucky," Yan told reporters. "Today I was very relaxed because she is a top player and I didn't think I could win so I just go on to the court to enjoy the match."

 

Yan, who has had to qualify for all seven WTA Tour events she has played this season, took charge quickly by breaking Ivanovic at the first opportunity to go up 2-0 in the opening set.

 

Ivanovic immediately broke back to level at 2-2 but Zi was undeterred, winning eight of the next nine games to take the opening set and a 4-0 lead in the second.

 

A doubles specialist, Yan's singles ranking has tumbled as she has focused on preparing for the Beijing Olympics.

 

But with doubles partner Zheng Jie injured Yan has been able to play more singles events and has slowly inched back up the rankings.

 

In 2006, Yan and partner Zheng Jie earned China's first grand slam titles with victories at the Australia Open and Wimbledon.

 

"Last year I was very concentrated on the doubles because of Olympics where I think I will play doubles," said Yan.

"But this year I very lucky. So many tournaments I get in and I have played well so my ranking is getting better."

 

The day began with Italy's Francesca Schiavone ending Dementieva's title hopes with a gritty 6-7 6-3 6-2 comeback win, while American Meghann Shaughnessy shook off her indifferent form to surprise Safarova 3-6 6-4 7-5.

 

A trio of Frenchwomen made it through to the last 16, Wimbledon finalist and seventh seed Marion Bartoli and Virginie Razzano advancing when their opponents were forced to retire with injuries.

 

Chakvetadze retired in the second set with a viral illness trailing Razzano 7-6 2-0 and Bartoli advanced when Russia's Maria Kirilenko succumbed to a knee injury.

 

Twelfth seed Tatiana Golovin joined her French compatriots in the third round by easing past Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 6-3.

 

Sixth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova, runner-up to Ivanovic in Los Angeles, overcame a sluggish start to beat Canadian Stephanie Dubois 6-7 6-2 6-1.

 

(CRI via Reuters August 16, 2007)