It was another unnerving day in the wind for aspirants in the Irish Women's Open Championships at Riverview yesterday, yet it was the unfamiliarity of the court's surface rather than the elements that resulted in the elimination of top seed Alicia Ortuno of Spain as early as the second round.

The shock aspect of Ortuno's defeat by Australian Lisa McShea, 6-1 6-4, had been softened because of the overnight score. The match had been suspended due to rain on Wednesday with McShea ahead 5-1.

However, the 23-year-old from Brisbane, a former Junior Wimbledon doubles champion, was sent packing in the afternoon when failing to cope with the pace and accuracy of Britain's Luci Ahl, 6-4 6-2.

The topsy-turvy pattern was put into context by both McShea and Ortuno. The Spaniard admitted that she had played poorly. McShea agreed and regarded Ahl as a less benevolent player than Ortuno.

Ahl (seeded six) is coached in London by Jo Durie and is currently ranked seven in Britain. Standing in her way of a final place is the adaptable Swiss player Miroslava Vavrinec.

In the bottom half of the draw lurks an even more intimidating threat for Ahl. Compatriot Jasmine Choudhury, a qualifier, outgunned the number two seed Lenka Cenkova of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-4.

She meets another unseeded player of quality in Petra Mandula of Hungary. It is a semi-final fixed for this morning that could prove the match of the championhips. Mandula had to be at her best to beat Mareze Joubert of South Africa, a former number one junior in her country.