Injuries knock Li, Jankovic out in Paris

PARIS, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Seeded players Li Na and Jelena Jankovic both are out of the GDF Suez Open tennis tournament in France because of injuries.

Li, seeded third, retired in her match Tuesday against Tsvetana Pironkova because of a back problem. Pironkova was up 7-6 (7-5), 3-2 when the first-round match was stopped.

Jankovic, the No. 4 seed, didn't even get on the court. She withdrew due to a left thigh strain.

The same injury forced Jankovic out of Serbia's Fed Cup quarterfinal against Belgium. Jankovic won her first singles match in the series but was unable to play Sunday. Serbia won the series 3-2.

The two Belgium points were both claimed by Yanina Wickmayer, who was to have been Jankovic's first-round opponent.

Sixth-seeded Julia Goerges moved into the second round after an efficient 6-1, 6-3 win over Shahar Peer. Goerges won nearly two-thirds of the points in the match and six breaks over eight receiving games.

Chanelle Scheepers beat Polona Hercog 6-2, 6-2 and earned a second-round match with No. 1-seeded Maria Sharapova while Petra Martic got by Greta Arn 6-4, 6-4 and will next meet second-seeded Marion Bartoli. Sharapova and Bartoli had first-round byes.

Also Tuesday, Angelique Kerber topped Lucie Safarova 6-2, 7-6 (7-3); Mona Barthel took out Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-3, 6-2; and Petra Cetkovska defeated Alberta Brianti 6-3, 6-3.