Sabine Liscki and Julia Goerges lose in Linz

Sabine Lisicki and Julia Goerges surrendered to defeat at the 2011 Generali Ladies Linz. Flavia Pennetta pulled out of the match due to a injury which saw Rodionova enter the quarterfinals.

Sabine Lisicki and Julia Goerges had the responsibility to make Germany proud at the Generali Ladies Linz, but were just not able to do so. Both of them surrendered to defeats at the International-level event on Wednesday by in-form opponents.

Fifth seeded Lisicki took the first set against Italian veteran Alberta Brianti but then lost the subsequent two sets as the score stood at 7-5 4-6 6-3. The second ranked German had all of the momentum in the first and third sets but let it go, losing five games in a row from 5-2 up in the first, and again giving up on five consecutive straight games from 3-1 up in the third.

Brianti said, "It wasn't a great match today - we both made a lot of mistakes - but the most important thing was staying focused from beginning to end. Playing a top player like Sabine is never easy. Every point and every game was tough. So I'm very happy I concentrated well today and won the match."

A disappointed Lisicki said, "I got very, very sick in China and was in the hospital. I'm still recovering from that. I really wanted to play here, especially with it being a German-speaking country. But after a week in bed it's hard to have a good rhythm. I wanted it really badly, but my body just couldn't handle it."

Sixth seeded Goerges, had saved two match points to win her first round match on Tuesday but then was unable to find her best form for her second round match on Wednesday, losing to Russian lucky loser Evgeniya Rodina, 6-3 6-4.

German number one, Andrea Petkovic had pulled out from the tournament due to a nagging right knee injury. Austrian No.2 Patricia Mayr-Achleitner won her first round match against French qualifier Stéphanie Foretz Gacon, 3-6 6-2 6-2, after she fought from a set and 0-2 trail.

Mayr-Achleitner said, "I had a bad start. I was very nervous. But in the second set it started getting better and I just kept fighting. I feel good about Bad Gastein. After I made the final there I had some problems with my shoulder, but in the end I'm very happy about this year. I hope I can keep this up here in Linz."

Mayr-Achleitner will be now face first seeded Petra Kvitova in the next round.

Other first round winners were eighth seeded Daniela Hantuchova, 9th seeded Flavia Pennetta and Australian lucky loser Anastasia Rodionova. In the only other second round match played, Sorana Cirstea took care fourth seeded, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 4-6 6-0 6-4. Pennetta withdrew from her match due to a injury which in-turn saw Russian-born Rodionova ride into the quarterfinals.