Schnyder Upset, Davenport On Tuesday at New Haven

NEW HAVEN, CT, USA -- Svetlana Kuznetsova benefited from an on-court coaching session Monday in the first round of the Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Michelob Ultra. After the world No.7 found herself down a set against American qualifier Jill Craybas, her coach, Stefan Ortega, told her to "take control and dictate." Kuznetsova listened and dropped only two more games en route to a 67(6) 61 61 victory at Connecticut Tennis Center.

"In the first set I played one of the worst sets of the season," Kuznetsova said. "I had to fight a lot and I just didn't want to lose. It was too tough because it was one of these bad days when you just couldn't do anything right. The rallies were long and it was a very hard match. I just felt so tired. You have bad days sometimes and I'm very happy I got through."

"The game I was playing was not my game," Kuznetsova added. "I was just playing flat tennis. He told me to use more spin."

Seeded No.5 here, Kuznetsova will next face Tatiana Golovin, who won a three-setter on Sunday. The Russian is making her first appearance here at the $600,000, Tier II event. After about two months away from Sony Ericsson WTA Tour competition due to an abdominal injury, she made the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup last week but ran into eventual finalist Martina Hingis.

No.6 seed Patty Schnyder also caught a slow start but did not manage to recover. The Swiss was eliminated, 61 63, by Chinese qualifier Sun Tiantian. This marks Sun's best victory of the year but not the best of her career. Last year in Beijing, she managed a straight set victory over Serena Williams. World No.94 Sun will next play lucky loser Samantha Stosur, who advanced when Nathalie Dechy retired due to a left thigh strain.

Francesca Schiavone won her first summer hardcourt match Monday by defeating Elena Likhovtseva, 63 64. The Italian, who withdrew from San Diego and Los Angeles with a muscle strain, will next face either No.7 seed Lindsay Davenport or Katarina Srebotnik.

Other Monday winners were Marion Bartoli and Anabel Medina Garrigues.

On Tuesday, Davenport will play Srebotnik, while No.8 seed Anastasia Myskina will take on lucky loser Mara Santangelo.
-- WTA