DESPITE the constant threat of leaden skies, a full day's tennis at the Gotelee & Goldsmith East of England Lawn Tennis Championships yesterday saw three top seeds crash out of the competition.

DESPITE the constant threat of leaden skies, a full day's tennis at the Gotelee & Goldsmith East of England Lawn Tennis Championships yesterday saw three top seeds crash out of the competition.

On a very breezy day at Bath Road, top-seeded male Toshihide Matsui and second and third seeded ladies Alberta Brianti and Cara Black were all eliminated from the tournament at the second-round phase.

The first of the three to taste defeat was the Zimbabwean Black, who was beaten 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 by Australian Trudi Musgrave. Having once been ranked 31 in the world, it was a disappointingly early exit for a player that many believed had the credentials to go all the way in the tournament.

In an absorbing match on the No. 1 court, Aldeburgh-based Amanda Keen delighted the Felixstowe crowd with a brave three-set victory over second seed Alberta Brianti.

The Italian began the match in stylish fashion, hitting three outright winners in Keen's third service game to snatch a decisive break.

Having lost the first set 6-4, Keen, a former winner here, could easily have caved in against a player who recently qualified for Roland Garros. To her credit, she began the second set in positive fashion, pushing Brianti back and demonstrating masterful touches around the net.

In no time at all she had stormed through the second set to take it 6-1. Continuing to battle admirably, Keen held serve throughout the third set to force a tie break. With the tie break carefully poised at 5-4 to Keen, the tall Briton bombed down two unreturnable serves to take the match 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4).

Earlier in the afternoon, it had been the turn of the men's top seed, Japan's Toshihide Matsui to fall at the second hurdle. He began poorly against Italian Riccardo Ghedin, whose phenomenal work rate saw him clinch the first set 6-3.

However, Matsui was able to pick up his game in the second set and having secured an early break looked in control. With Matsui serving for the second set, Gheddin, ranked over 300 places below the top seed, manufactured a break point and sensationally went on to win the next three games to take the decisive set 7-5.

Matsui's early exit gave second seed Luke Bourgeois added incentive to beat qualifier Tomoslav Peric in his second-round tie. The big-hitting Aussie responded in style, sending down 17 aces on his way to a 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 victory.

Bourgeois always looked in control and displayed the sort of venomous power that convinced Roger Federer to use him as a practice partner for this year's Wimbledon tournament.

Yesterday's results

Men's Singles first round: (4) F Nielsen (Den) bt I Flanagan (Gbr) 4-2 ret. D King-Turner (Nzl) bt J Cerretani (USA) 6-4 6-7 (7-4) 6-3. A Coelho (Aus) bt (8) L Childs (Gbr) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3. Second round: R Ghedin (Ita) bt (1) T Matsui (Jap) 6-3 7-5. (6) J Goodall (Gbr) bt T Rushby (Gbr) 3-6 6-1 6-2. (4) F Nielsen (Den) bt D King-Turner (Nzl) 6-4 6-2. (7) C Fleming (GBR) bt R Irwin (GBR) 6-3 6-4. N Bamford (Gbr) bt A Coelho (Aus) 2-6 6-4 6-0. (3) M Smith (Gbr) bt R Wire (Gbr) 6-3 3-6 6-3. A Kennaugh (Gbr) bt (5) H Mankad (Ind) 6-4 7-6 (8-6). (2) L Bourgeois (Aus) bt T Peric (Cro) 7-6 (7-3) 6-1.

Women's Singles first round: C Wheeler (Aus) bt (5) K Liggan (Ire) 6-3 6-3. (4) K O'Brien (Gbr) bt S Bhambri (Ind) 7-5 6-3. (3) C Black (Zim) bt K Paterson (Gbr) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2. Second round: (1) O Poutchkova (Rus) bt G Stoop (Gbr) 6-2 6-4. C Wheeler (Aus) bt D Brown (Gbr) 6-1 6-2. (6) S Borwell (Gbr) bt A Heitz (Fra) 6-2 6-3. J Bone (Gbr) bt (8) Y Fedossova (Fra) 6-2 2-6 6-4. T Musgrave (Aus) bt (3) C Black (Zim) 7-6 (9-7) 6-4. (7) J Coin (Fra) bt J O'Donoghue (Gbr) 6-4 6-3. A Keen (Gbr) bt (2) A Brianti (Ita) 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4).