PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.(AP) Top-seeded Nadia Petrova breezed through her first round match with a 6-2, 6-4 win Tuesday over Olga Govortsova at The MPS Group Championships.
The 10th-ranked Petrova was ahead 4-2 in the second set, with wind gusting to 30 mph, when Govortsova broke and held to tie it at 4-4.
Petrova, who won 76 percent of her first-serve points, took a lead 5-4 in a game with five deuces. She added one of her four aces in the final game.
It is really rare for it to get that windy,'' Petrova said.It was difficult, very difficult. The tennis you play in this kind of condition is to put more balls in the court. It is pretty difficult to play great, beautiful tennis. You have to keep it very simple and very smart.''
The Russian will meet 14-year-old American Madison Keys in the next round.
Other winners Tuesday were fifth-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak and Anastasia Rodionova. Daniela Hantuchova fought off three match points to beat Anastasija Sevastova in a third-set tiebreaker.
The third-seeded doubles team of Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko also won.