An aggressively hot and sunny early morning gave way to scattered clouds in Sarasota on Wednesday. As the matches began at 11 AM, the clouds started to conglomerate into an oppressive covering, shrouding the match between American qualifier Mashona Washington and big-serving Australian Alicia Molik in darkness.

Caged in by the clouds and with gusting winds, the match wasn?t necessarily easy to play. But both ladies were able to play their powerful, net-rushing games ? tricky on the Sarasota green clay ? with gusto. After being down an early break at 0-2, Molik?s service, one of the best on the Tour, provided her with some very easy service games in the first set, which she came back to win 6-4. Washington has no slouch of a service game either, and hit her share of aces to continue to be competitive into the second set. But at 2-2, Washington could not convert on three break points, and near the end of the game hit two double faults and a poor backhand unforced error to allow Molik to break on her first chance.

With the wind picking up and sunlight nowhere to be found, Molik and Washington continued to hold onto their remaining service games to 5-4, when Molik would try to serve out the match through the drizzle. She started the game with an ace ? her fourth of the set ? and raced to a triple match point. But as she started her second service motion, a downpour hit! Play was suspended and one wondered whether Molik was going to be able to close out the match without difficulty.

After over two hours, the players returned to the center court, and, following a 5-minute warmup, Molik ended the match with one point, a whipping forehand down the line which Washington barely got her racket on. The 20-year old Aussie made it through to the second round on her least favorite surface, and after a 5-6 start to the year, is rounding into form. She?ll play Janette Husarova in the second round, the Slovak having rolled over third seed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario last night...

Anastasia Myskina looks to be another player hitting her stride this year. The 20-year-old Russian has already reached the quarterfinals in Doha and Dubai this year, and served for a straight set-victory against Jennifer Capriati two weeks ago in Miami, before folding in the third set. But she had a bit of a match on her hands when she battled her compatriot Alina Jidkova on Grandstand 2.

Jidkova had been enjoying herself in Sarasota, as I spotted her at matches rooting on, among others, Virginie Razzano (twice!). The brunette, competent in both Italian and English, had pushed her way back into the Top 100 by virtue of a semifinal showing in Memphis, where she had battled her way through qualifying and upset top seed Amanda Coetzer. Having made it through the qualifying here with only one set lost, Jidkova was fit and focused on her task in Sarasota. For a while, Jidkova showed it. Her deep, looping groundstrokes kept Myskina pinned behind the baseline, and Myskina, anxious to get out of her position, made multiple unforced errors when pressing the points. Serving at 1-2, Myskina blew a game point to be broken, and when Jidkova consolidated, it seemed as though the 25-year-old Russian would use her experience to oust her younger, more powerful countrywoman.

But as Jidkova served at 4-2, Myskina was able to make some inroads into the front of the court. Jidkova took advantage of three errors, two unforced to race to a 40-0 lead and triple game point for a 5-2 lead. But Myskina quickly got back to deuce with three consecutive backhand winners. Jidkova would lose that game with two double faults after the second deuce, and, with a screech and a racket toss emanating from Jidkova, the match was on.

By this point, both Russians were sulking and questioning calls incessantly. Still, Myskina and Jidkova were playing at the peak of their repsective talents, and were able to make it to the tiebreak without any break points faced by either of them. Once again, Myskina started slowly. Two errors on her opening service points allowed Jidkova to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the tiebreak. But Myskina then won both of Jidkova?s service points, and held her point for 3-3 by serving an ace. Two smashes allowed Myskina to hold a 5-4 lead, but Jidkova hit a backhand pass to even it at 5. But,after a long rally, Myskina countered with her own backhand winner, leaving Jidkova screaming ?ALEENAAAAAAAA? in despair. Jidkova was unable to hold her final service point, as Myskina gleefully put away a smash to win the tiebreak 7 points to 5. Myskina finally put her game into top gear, and Jidkova wilted under the pressure, sending Myskina away with a 7-6(5) 6-2 victory. Myskina has a very interesting second round to deal with in the form of two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce...

Two more Russians had conflicting results today. Elena Likhovtseva seemed to be in a bad mood during her entire match, losing to qualifier Anna Smashnova of Israel, 6-2 6-2. Smashnova, though, has been one of the top players of the year, winning two titles back-to-back in Hobart and Canberra. In spite of her qualifier status, Smashnova is ranked higher than over half of the players in the main draw, including Likhovtseva. Tatiana Panova, another of this year?s more accomplished players, won easily over Gala Leon Garcia of Spain, 6-4 6-2. Panova made the quarterfinals of the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami last week, and sits at a career-high #25 ranking...

Patty Schnyder was the last winner of the day, ousting 9th seed Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia, 6-2 3-6 6-2. Nagyova had won four of five previous meetings with Schnyder, but the Swiss beat her in the final of the last tournament of 2001 in Pattaya City. Schnyder joins Panova in the quarterfinals and will play the Smashnova-Jelena Dokic winner...

There was a second rain delay later in the day, postponing the Meghann Shaughnessy-Marlene Weingartner match. This was doubly beneficial for Shaughnessy, considering that she was pushed to three exhausting sets by Jennifer Hopkins yesterday while nursing a back injury. It may not matter, though ? the German has won four of five career meetings against the second seed.

The evening storm also played havoc on the grounds, as any attempts to keep the players waiting for a break in the action were thwarted by the entire tournament?s loss of power at around 7:30 PM...