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Qualifying play got under way today under pleasantly sunny skies in Montréal. The tournament has a strong qualifying field, and we were anxious to get first looks at some fast-rising youngsters, as well to check out some of our old acquaintances. This was the first of two rounds of qualifying action.

We focus on very divergent performances by two eagerly-anticipated newcomers, Vera Zvonareva and Angelique Widjaja, as well as a solid first outing by Wynne Prakusya.

Zvonareva in the zone

By far, the most impressive player we saw today was 17-year-old Russian Vera Zvonareva, who had caught our attention with a run to the round of 16 at the French Open out of qualifying this year. The former junior champion plays the hard-hitting baseline game in vogue these days, but does it very well. Vera has already developed an impressive serve, and she holds nothing back with her groundstrokes. Her cross-court two-handed backhand is especially lethal. The blonde out of Moscow also seems to b e an excellent athlete, a good mover, and possesses a strong build, with particularly impressive muscular development in her legs. Like many of the other Russians -- of both sexes -- she is also given to fits of pique and angry self-recriminations.

Today Vera had no trouble blowing past Irina Selyutina, who is having a very tough time of it this year, with only 1 win in 10 WTA matches. The score was a lopsided 6-2, 6-1. Nobody in the main draw will want to draw this up-and-comer in the first round, should she get past Laura Granville tomorrow and go on to advance to the main draw.

Wobbly Widjaja tailor-made for Taylor

Another fast-rising teenaged newcomer, Indonesia?s Angelique Widjaja, was making her Canadian Open début, and it was as unimpressive as Zvonareva?s was impressive. Widjaja?s game must have been lost in transit to Montreal: she was never competitive in a 6-2, 6-0 loss to American Sarah Taylor.

Taylor is not a bad player at all. The Nick Bollettieri pupil has good size (5'9'' or 1.75 m) and a forehand capable of putting opponents on the defensive with penetrating forehands. But Widjaja made Sarah?s life easy, making repeated errors on routine shots and often badly misjudging her opponent?s shots.

Widjaja?s problems were mainly on the forehand side. Her forehand can be an effective shot for her, but is too often loose and wristy, and the shot broke down repeatedly for her today. Not even the arrival of countrywoman Wynne Prakusya and Thai star Tamarine Tanasugarn, who came during the second set to join Widjaja?s support group, could stop the carnage this afternoon.

Sarah Taylor will try to stay alive in qualifying against third seed Francesca Schiavone tomorrow. Schiavone was a 7-5, 6-3 winner over fellow Italian Roberta Vinci today.

Wynne pulls out win over Pullin

The other Indonesian in action today, 21-year-old speedster Wynne Prakusya (pictured at right), had a more successful outing than her countrywoman, earning a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) win over Britain?s Julie Pullin. Pullin was an awkward opponent to face, with an effective lefthanded serve and a nice forehand stroke, and she performed well in a losing cause.

Julie and Wynne held their serves well in the opening set, until the Englishwoman served at 5-5. At 15-40, Prakusya cagily threw in a looping shot that drew a short reply that was duly mashed for a winner by the Indonesian. Prakusya went on to consolidate the break and serve out the set, but not without some intrigue. On Wynne?s second set point at 40-15, Julie struck a lucky mis-hit backhand winner for which she apologized. At 40-30 Lady Luck turned against Pullin. A Prakusya forehand looked long, b ut was called good, and Pullin made an error on the next shot, to end the set 7-5 in Prakusya?s favour. ?So far out!?, cried Julie?s coach. Despite Pullin?s protests, no overrule was forthcoming.

Undeterred, the plucky Pullin got off to a strong start in the second with some aggressive play, and took a 4-2 lead. Prakusya?s backhand, which had been strong to this point (we thought that Wynne was striking the backhand with much more force and conviction than when we saw her last year in Toronto), began to let her down, with errors creeping in. But at 4-2, Wynne?s backhand returned just in time: she broke back on a sharply angled backhand at 15-40 to get the match back on serve, where it stayed unt il the tie-break. Here is a rundown of the second set breaker?

• JP serving: Prakusya comes to net and hits an impressive stretch volley winner. 1-0
• WP: Second serve backhand return by Pullin is wide. 2-0 Prakusya
• WP: Prakusya goes for a forehand winner that just misses. 2-1 Prakusya
• JP: Foot fault by Pullin, her third of the match. Second serve: long rally ends with a Pullin forehand winner down the line. 2-2
• JP: Pullin hits a wild forehand well long. 3-2 Prakusya
• WP: Service winner, followed by one of Wynne?s demure little fist pumps. 4-2 Prakusya
• WP: Prakusya nails a cross-court forehand winner. 5-2 Prakusya
• JP: Service winner to Prakusya?s backhand. 5-3 Prakusya
• JP: Pullin dumps a backhand into the net. 6-3 Prakusya, match point #1
• WP: Wynne nails another big cross-court forehand winner. Make the final: 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).

Prakusya, who has a career-high ranking of 74 at present, has some points to defend this week, since she reached the third round in Toronto last year. So qualifying is essential for her. Her opposition tomorrow will be second qualifying seed Henrieta Nagyova. The Slovak had little trouble with Canadian wild card Mélanie Marois, romping to a 6-1, 6-4 win.

Tomorrow?s second round qualifying fixtures

Other than the matches mentioned above, here are the other second round qualifying matches on tomorrow?s schedule.

• Sonya Jeyaseelan - Rossana Neffa-de los Rios (24)
  Jeyaseelan accounted for top qualifying seed Katarina Srebotnik, 6-3, 6-2, today. A nice result for the former top 100 player from Canada, who has been off the tour for most of the last year with a horrible succession of illnesses and injuries. Neffa-de los Ríos ousted American Lilia Osterloh, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3).
• Meilen Tu (4) - Cara Black (14)
• Elena Bovina - Virginia Ruano Pascual (16)
• Marissa Irvin (6) - Samantha Reeves (13)
• Magui Serna (7) - Beier Ko
  The surprise of the day came from Canada?s best junior prospect, Ko, who upset 20th seed Marlene Weingartner by a 6-4 1-6 6-4 score. Ko is a smallish former Montreal resident who now resides in Florida. Beier also has the distinction of beating Hewitt at the Australian Open. That would be Jaslyn Hewitt, Lleyton?s little sis, who lost to Ko in last year?s junior girls? competition in Melbourne. Beier has excellent returns of serve and steps into her shots nicely. A real battler as well, Ko bears watchi ng in the future.
• Angelika Roesch - Jill Craybas
• Amy Frazier (10) - Els Callens
• Saori Obata - Alina Jidkova (15)
• Tatiana Poutchek (12) - Alicia Molik (18).
  The pouty grinder from Belarus, Poutchek, broke the hearts of the local fans who were in the main stadium to cheer on her opponent, local girl Pelletier. Poutchek won a war of attrition, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. It was a strange, sloppy match, that often saw both young women resort to the dreaded moonball.