LINZ, Austria, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Japan's Ai Sugiyama of Japan beat local favorite Barbara Schett of Austria in Tuesday's first-round feature match of the $565,000 Generali Ladies Open.
Sugiyama rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 victory at the Design Center Linz to earn her third win in as many meetings with Schett.
Schett captured her third career singles title at 2000 Klagenfurt in her native Austria, but has failed to advance past the semifinals in this event.
Sugiyama will play No. 7 Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria in the second round. Maleeva defeated Paola Suarez of Argentina on Monday.
Maleeva has reached three WTA finals this year. But the 26-year-old's lone success came at the Budapest Open claycourt event in April, when she captured her eighth career title.
Lindsay Davenport seeks her third consecutive tournament win and tries to defend her title this week. The top seed at this indoor event, Davenport received a first-round bye and will play Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic in the second round. Bedanova outlasted Nadia Petrova of Russia, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5).
In other Tuesday matches, American Alexandra Stevenson downed Cristina Torrens-Valero of Spain, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan beat Anastasia Myskina of Russia, 6-2, 6-2, and Elena Likhovtseva of Russia defeated Denisa Chladkova of the Czech Republic, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
Davenport defeated Venus Williams in three sets to claim last year's event. Williams was to have been the second seed this week but withdrew with an irritated left wrist. She has not played since winning the U.S. Open due to concerns following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Moving into the second spot in the draw is Wimbledon runner-up Justine Henin of Belgium, who has reached the final in two of her last three tournaments. She has won three titles this year.
Seeded third, Jelena Dokic also owns three tournament victories this season. She has advanced to the final at four of her last five events, winning the Kremlin Cup three weeks ago.
Nathalie Tauziat, the fourth seed from France, will play her last regular tour singles tournament this week. Tauziat, who will play a limited doubles schedule in 2002, qualified for the WTA Tour Championships next week.
