Medina upsets Mauresmo to win Strasbourg title

STRASBOURG, France, May 26 (Reuters) Top seed Amelie Mauresmo lost 6-4 4-6 6-4 to Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues in the Strasbourg Open final today to end her preparations for the French Open with a surprise defeat.

The world number five got off to a shaky start with Medina taking advantage of the Frenchwoman's sluggish serve to break three times and clinch the opening set.

Mauresmo rallied in the second set, saving a break point after claiming the Spaniard's serve, to level the match.

Medina, seeded sixth, then took control of the decider by breaking in the fifth game only for Mauresmo to break back.

The former world number one crumbled at the end of the match when she dropped her serve for the sixth time, leaving her opponent to clinch victory in two hours and 26 minutes.

Mauresmo, who slumped to a shock second round defeat in Rome last week, entered the Strasbourg tournament to get more match play ahead of the French Open starting on Sunday.

The Wimbledon champion, who has never made it past the quarter-finals in Roland Garros, will start her French Open campaign against Laura Granville of the United States.

REUTERS SSC BST2132