Schiavone, Silvia Farina advance in Paris

PARIS, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Italians Francesca Schiavone and Silvia Farina, only seeds in action, needed three sets Monday to advance to the second round of the Open Gaz de France.

Schiavone, the fifth seed, overcame Frenchwoman Emilie Loit, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Seeded seventh, Farina Elia rallied past American Alexandra Stevenson, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-2.

Farina Elia will face Slovenia's Tina Pisnik in the second round. Pisnik routed Denisa Chladkova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-1, for only her second match win of the year.

Maria Sanchez Lorenzo advanced to a meeting with top seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Greece's Eleni Daniilidou.