Early exit for Latimer

Latimer in action at last year's Wimbledon

British number one Louise Latimer made an unexpected early exit from the DFS Classic in Birmingham after defeat by Japan's Yuka Yoshida.

Latimer had hoped to use the event to gain some valuable grass-court practice prior to mounting her All England Club challenge in two weeks' time.

But the Brit found herself packing her bags early after losing to Yoshida in three sets during the final phase of qualifying on Sunday.

Former national champion Hannah Collin was more successful, beating Australian Lisa McShea in straight sets to qualify for the main draw alongside fellow Britons Lucie Ahl, Julie Pullin and Lorna Woodruff.

Russian revolution

The top eight seeds, including former Wimbledon finalist and reigning champion Nathalie Tauziat and world number 19 Jelena Dokic, qualify automatically for the second round of the $170,000 event.

For Dokic the event holds difficult memories after her notorious father Damir had to be escorted off the premises two years ago.

Another youngster who looks set to cause a storm is seventeen-year-old Russian Lina Krasnoroutskaya.

Following her heroics in last week's French Open, where she progressed to the quarter-finals in only her sixth Grand Slam event, the Russian looks set to be a crowd puller.

Krasnoroutskaya has benefited from the increased profile of tennis in her home country due in part to the successes of Anna Kournikova and Marat Safin.

"We've got a really good school of tennis in Russia now because the kids see Kournikova and Marat and want to be like them," Krasnoroutskaya said.

Another Russian looking for victory is world number 32 Elena Likhovtseva, who favours playing on grass.

The event begins in earnest at Edgbaston on Monday.