Venus up next

Kournikova, Pierce win first-round matches in Rome

ROME (AP) -- Two former top-ten players making their way back from injuries won first-round matches Monday at the US$1.22 million Italian Open.

Two-time Grand Slam tournament champion Mary Pierce defeated Switzerland's Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 and Russia's Anna Kournikova dismissed Spain's Marta Marrero 6-3, 6-3.

The Canadian-born Pierce, who lives in the United States and plays for France, used a big forehand and strong serve to overcome her otherwise erratic play and beat the 18-year-old Swiss player.

Pierce's ranking has dropped to 172 due to a series of injuries suffered since winning at Roland Garros in 2000. She was entered in the draw of this French Open tuneup event via the Women's Tennis Association's protected ranking rule, which helps injured players enter tournaments when they return to the tour.

"I'm working very hard to move up in the rankings," said Pierce, who was No. 3 in the world less than two years ago. "I made a lot of unforced errors today, but I'm still improving. But I feel like certain parts of my game are coming back."

The 27-year-old Pierce won the Italian Open in 1997.

Kournikova, who is still regaining her form from a foot injury that kept her out of action for much of last year, won five straight games to erase a 3-1 first-set deficit against the 19-year-old Spaniard.

In the second set, the 20-year-old Russian star broke Marrero's serve early on and held on for the victory.

"Before I got injured I was No. 8 in the world," said Kournikova, who's ranking has since plummeted to No. 68. "So, of course, there are certain things I still need to work on.

"But mainly it's playing a lot of matches, that's how I get confident, playing like I did today," she said.

On Tuesday night, Kournikova plays world No. 1 Venus Williams.

"That will give me a good sense of where I am and what I have to work on," Kournikova said. "And it's her first match here, so you never know."

The top eight seeds in the event, including sisters Venus and Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati and defending champion Jelena Dokic, have first-round byes. Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Amanda Coetzer pulled out because of injury.

The Williams sisters have entered the doubles draw, which also features 45-year-old Martina Navratilova, who will play with Natalia Zvereva.

Also Monday, 10th-seeded Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States lost 6-3, 6-3 to Sweden's Asa Svensson in the week's first upset and fellow American Jennifer Hopkins was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 by Russia's Tatiana Panova.

In other first-round matches, Bulgaria's Magdalena Maleeva defeated Slovakia's Martina Sucha 6-0, 7-6 (4), Spain's Magui Serna edged Italy's Maria Elena Camerin 6-3, 6-4 and Virginia Ruano Pascual beat Angeles Montolio 7-6 (4), 6-3 in an all-Spanish affair.

 

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