BRISBANE, Australia, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Wild-card entrant Sally Peers pulled off the first upset of the 2011 tennis season with a three-set win Sunday at the Brisbane International in Australia.
Peers knocked off seventh-seeded Alisa Kleybanova 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 by piling up two service breaks in each set. Kleybanova won more points in the match (93-92) but that was because of a strong first set.
The only other seeded player on Sunday's schedule also went three sets but fifth-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was able to escape with a 6-2, 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 victory over Alla Kudryavtseva. Pavlyuchenkova recorded six service breaks in the match.
Also Sunday, Jarmila Groth topped Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2, 7-5; Bojana Jovanovski defeated Anastasia Rodionova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; and Lucie Safarova topped Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
The Brisbane International serves as a tune-up for the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 17 in Melbourne.
