PALERMO, Italy (AP)—Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy earned a straight-set win over Kathrin Woerle to advance to the second round of the Palermo Open.
The defending champion won 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday.
Second-seeded Aravane Rezai of France had a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Simona Halep.
Two other seeded players also moved to the second round.
Eighth-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany beat Italy’s Martina Caregaro, 6-3, 6-2 and ninth-seeded Italian Alberta Brianti defeated Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 7-6 (0), 6-2.