MASON, Ohio (AP) — Top-ranked Dinara Safina rallied past unseeded Roberta Vinci of Italy 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the third round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Open on Tuesday.
Safina, who entered in her 17th consecutive week at No. 1, came up with a service break with Vinci serving for the match in the second set at 5-4. She won three straight games to force a third set, then came from 3-1 down in the third to squeeze past Vinci for a third straight time.
Safina had 48 unforced errors to Vinci's 28.
Earlier, Belgian qualifier Yanina Wickmayer upset Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-4.
The 56th-ranked Wickmayer became the third qualifier to reach the second round with her upset of the 26th-ranked Schiavone. Wickmayer believed qualifying gave her an advantage.
The 19-year-old was also Kim Clijsters' doubles partner.
"I think my advantage today was I had a few matches in my legs already," Wickmayer said.
Also, unseeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine ousted 10th-seeded Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-3 for the first time in three matches, and didn't concede a break chance to the Russia. Dominika Cibulkova, the 15th seed, fell to unseeded Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-1.
Other first-round winners included Flavia Pennetta of Italy, Agnes Szavay of Hungary, Sorana Cirstea of Romania, Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, and Russians Alisa Kleybanova and Maria Kirilenko.
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