MADRID, SPAIN (TICKER) -- Top seed Monica Seles of the United States showed signs of rust in her claycourt season debut Wednesday as she was stunned in the second round of the Madrid Open.
Seles, a three-time French Open champion, fell in straight sets to 75th-ranked Rossana de los Rios of Paraguay, 7-5, 6-4. The former world No. 1 had been sidelined since the Tennis Masters Series event at Indian Wells in March with a foot injury.
Seles owns one title this season (the IGA U.S. Indoors) and reached the quarterfinals or better in four events before the injury. She is seeded sixth at the French Open, which begins Monday.
Second seed and local favorite Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario was fortunate to advance after losing the first set to Germany's Barbara Rittner, the winner of last week's Benelux Open in Belgium.
Rittner took the opening set, 7-6 (7-4), before retiring with a right hamstring injury.
Seles and Sanchez-Vicario had some history here in the past. In 1992, Seles defeated the Spaniard in three sets in the final.
All other seeded players in action Wednesday continued their run in the event.
No. 3 Sandrine Testud of France cruised to a 6-0, 6-4 victory over unseeded Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine.
Testud meets wild card entry Maria Jose Martinez in the quarterfinals after the Spaniard recorded a hard-earned 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6) victory over Rita Grande of Italy,
American Lisa Raymond, seedes sixth, rolled by qualifier Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, 6-2, 6-3. Raymond takes on Sanchez-Vicario in the quarterfinals.
Seventh seed Magui Serna of Spain went the distance against Cara Black of Zimbabwe before prevailing, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.
Unseeded Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues will be Serna's opponent in an all-Spanish quarterfinal after defeating American Kristina Brandi, 6-3, 6-4.
The only Spaniard to lose Wednesday was Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo, who was dismissed by eighth-seeded countrywoman Angeles Montolio, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Montolio, a winner of two claycourt titles this year, will face de los Rios on Thursday for a semifinal berth.
First prize is $27,000.
