TENNIS in DEPTH.

Second-seeded Li Na of China was a straight-set loser in the first round of the 2010 season-opening ASB Classic, an Australian Open tune-up.

Li was easily handled by Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-1, 6-3 in just 67 minutes on the hardcourts at ASB Tennis Centre.

Fourth-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone had no problems with France’s Stephanie Cohen-Aloro with a 6-2, 6-3 win, while fifth-seeded Virginie Razzano of France dispatched Monica Niculescu of Romania 7-5, 6-4.

In the only other seeded match of the day, Elena Vesnina of Russia, the sixth seed, took down Italian Alberta Brianti 6-1, 6-4.

Other winners on the day were Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, Sania Mirza of India, France’s Alize Cornet, Romania’s Ioana Raluca Olaru and Israel’s Shahar Peer.

Russian Maria Kirilenko bested German Tatjana Malek 6-2, 6-3 in the day’s final match.

Elena Dementieva handled Vesnina in last year’s all-Russian finale on the hardcourts at ASB Tennis Centre.

The 2010 Aussie Open will get underway in two weeks in Melbourne.

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With three tournaments last week, including the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, a load of movement was seen within the Top 20, and some notable gains were made in the Top 50. The Top 20 saw advances from Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Kaia Kanepi, while Aleksandra Wozniak and Anne Keothavong moved up outside the elite.

Venus Williams has now re-entered the Top 5 after her victory at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. This move from No.6 to No.5 marks the former world No.1’s first time in the Top 5 since August 2003. Her win in Dubai marks her 40th Tour singles title, and makes her the 12th player ever to reach that milestone. Williams has won more of those titles than any other active player.

Elsewhere in the Top 20, Victoria Azarenka reached a new career-high after defeating top seed Carloine Wozniacki at the Morgan Keegan Championships & Cellular South Cup in Memphis. Azarenka now finds herself on the cusp of the Top 10, having moved from No.14 to No.11 after this, her second Tour singles title. The 19-year old from Belarus is on a roll after winning the Brisbane International in January.

Kaia Kanepi has made her Top 20 debut, moving up from No.24 to No.20 after defeating No.3-ranked Jelena Jankovic in two sets in Dubai. She went on to beat Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals in straight sets, but eventually fell to Virginie Razzano. Kanepi is the first-ever Estonian to reach the Top 20.

Outside of the elite, Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak edged up to No.30 from No.31, after Carla Su

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