ROME, Italy - After an early test for No.9 seed Daniela Hantuchova, the seeds cruised into the second round on Day One at the $1.34-million Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The Italian favorites, on the other hand, didn't have the best day.
World No.14 Hantuchova needed three sets in her first-round victory over No.59-ranked Aravane Rezai. In a match that last two hours, nine minutes, Hantuchova, who was looking to rebound from a first-round loss last week in Berlin, rallied back from one set down to beat the 20-year-old Frenchwoman, 46 61 62.
The other seeds following Hantuchova's win had an easier time in getting to the second round.
In the featured night match on Campo Centrale, No.10 seed Elena Dementieva dispatched Italian wildcard Maria Elena Camerin 61 62. Just before that match, No.11 seed Shahar Peer advanced when Agnieszka Radwanska was forced to retire with a right wrist strain down 60 20.
The 20-year-old Peer will next meet 31-year-old veteran Ai Sugiyama, who scored a tight 64 57 75 win over Maria Kirilenko earlier in the day.
Dementieva, who was sidelined for almost two months this year because of a rib injury, is hoping to get past the second round for the first time on clay this season. She will face Catalina Castano in the second round.
Castano also ousted an Italian wildcard in the first round when she defeated Karin Knapp, 61 75.
Alberta Brianti was the third Italian wildcard knocked out on Monday. She lost to qualifier Galina Voskoboeva, 62 63.
Other first-round winners on Monday were Meghann Shaughnessy, Karolina Sprem, Alona Bondarenko, lucky loser Michaella Krajicek and qualifier Tamira Paszek.
In doubles, the No.6 seeds, Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual, were upset by the unseeded team of Iveta Benesova and Voskoboeva, 63 16 10-7. No.7 seeds Nathalie Dechy and Mara Santangelo avoided the same fate, defeating Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta 62 64.
Tuesday's action begins at 1 p.m. local time with the only Italian wildcard left in the draw, Romina Oprandi, taking on China's top-ranked star Li Na on Campo Centrale.
In fact, the Campo Centrale schedule is packed with the host nations's stars with Francesca Schiavone facing Australia's Samantha Stosur and an all-Italian match-up between Pennetta and Tathian Garbin.
The night match will feature Serena Williams against Krajicek to start not before 8 p.m. local time. (WTA)
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