By Chris Davies
April 5 2005

Venus Williams impressed in her first match of the clay court season along with other seeded players Likhovtseva, Sprem and Mary Pierce also progressed at the Bausch and Lomb Championships, Amelia Island Williams who has had a pretty consistent season so far will look at the clay court has a time of getting back into top condition and make an assault on Roland Garros.

The 5th seed was in cruise control against Martina Sucha only making 11 unforced errors in the 42 minute drubbing. The only game she lost was on her own service but after that point never looked back winning 6-1, 6-0.

Other seeds to advance on day two were Elena Likhovtseva who eased past Anna Smashnova after losing the first set 7-5 went on to win 6-1, 6-2. Italian 12th seed Silvia Farina Elia battled past fellow countrywoman Tathiana Garbin 6-4, 6-2.

But Karolina Sprem's poor season continued losing to Virginia Ruano Pascual who is an experienced clay court player 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Lindsay Davenport will feature later on Tuesday where she will defend her title against Kristina Brandi.

On the first day of action Ai Sugiyama from Japan recoverd from a lapse of concentration in the second set to beat Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 6-1, 7-6 which could trigger a turnaround in her poor season so far.

Mary Pierce a previous winner of this title and seeded 14th, easily defeated Daja Bedanova a former top 20 star 6-3, 6-0.

Second Round:
(5) Venus Williams (USA) bt Martina Sucha (SLO)
6-0, 6-1

First Round :

Lisa Raymond (USA) bt Tzipora Obziler (ISR)
6-2, 6-0

Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) bt Anna Smashnova (ISR)
5-7, 6-1, 6-2

Marta Domachowska (Pol) bt Akiko Morigami (Jpn)
6-3, 6-4

(12) Silvia Farina Elia (Ita) bt Tathiana Garbin (Ita)
6-4, 6-2

Shuai Peng (Chn) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (USA)
6-3, 2-0 ret

Magdalena Maleeva (Bul) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Ger)
6-3, 6-3

Kveta Pesche (Cze) bt Catalina Castano (Col)
6-4, 7-6 (7-4),

Dally Randriantefy (Mad) bt Marta Marrero (Spa)
6-2, 7-5

Denisa Chladkova (Cze) bt Nicole Pratt (Aus)
6-1, 7-6 (9-7)

(15) Shinobu Asagoe (Jpn) bt Mashona Washington (USA)
7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Martina Sucha (Svk) bt Maria Vento-Kabchi (Ven)
6-4, 6-2

(11) Jelena Jankovic (Ser) bt Vera Douchevina (Rus)
6-2, 6-2

Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spa) bt Evgenia Linetskaya (Rus)
4-6, 6-4, 6-2

Kristina Brandi (Pue) bt Maria Elena Camerin (Ita)
6-1, 6-0

Eleni Daniilidou (Gre) bt Jelena Kostanic (Cro)
6-4, 6-4

Virginie Razzano (Fra) bt Emilie Loit (Fra)
7-5 ret

Conchita Martinez (Spa) bt Marissa Irvin (USA)
7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Shahar Peer (Isr) bt Samantha Stosur (Aus)
6-1, 6-3

Barbora Strycova (Cze) bt Katerina Bondarenko (Ukr)
4-6, 6-4, 6-3

(14) Mary Pierce (Fra) bt Daja Bedanova (Cze)
6-3, 6-0

(13) Ai Sugiyama (Jpn) bt Maria Antonia Sanchez-Lorenzo (Spa)
6-1, 7-6 (10-8)

(16) Amy Frazier (USA) bt Alina Jidkova (Rus)
6-4, 6-2,